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www. architect.crimmins.ie Conservation Appraisal of Walled Garden and Historic landscape of Kylemore Abbey 43 CA THAL CRIMMINS AR CHITECT

Appendix 1: Transcript from The Irish Builder, 15 May were physical difficulties to be overcome, for the Pass of Kylemore is swept by the wild earliest times, we have afforded and pleasure and information, we will not regret the
1872, breezes of the Atlantic, which is nowise a favourable acquisition to floral culture. To task. Our sketch after all is but an outline, which, if we had more time upon our hands
construct this garden in the West a bog had to be conquered and thoroughly drained, would have been made more complete. Our object was not to write about gardening
pps. 138-139: ‘Notes on Early Gardening in Ireland, Fourth Part- Conclusion’ and three miles of hot-water pipes laid down. Mr. Garnier, as head of staff, laid out the per se, but to treat upon other matters in relation which have tended, and will still
garden, and twenty-one houses were erected from designs by him, and roofed by tend as time advances, to the general good. In this way it may be found that we have
Cranston of Birmingham. The garden comprises six acres of ground, encompassed by accomplished some little good in our short history of gardening and its
what is termed a ‘stepped’ wall, in consequence of the undulating character of the accompaniments in Ireland
ground. The centre is divided by a path, and the garden (in two divisions) slpoe
‘...Our people are not as fond of flowers and gardening as they should, and in towns, or towards each other. On one side of the terrace are placed the entire of the houses, and Dubliensis
in their suburbs, the commendable attempts at gardening are exceeded by the frightful
examples that crop up around us on every side as we look. Indeed the absence of any they can all be passed through under cover. The garden is a parallelogram in shape,
and every modern improvement is embraced in construction. Here may be seen
attempt at gardening in numerous places where facilities exist, is a very marked and tropical fruit houses, orangeries, pineries, vineries, three peach houses, a house for the
disheartening feature. Landlords and owners of house property generally stand in their
own light by neglecting to put the gardens in connection with their untenanted houses plants of commerce, detached propagating and exhibition houses, cucumber and
melon houses and others. The flowers are planted in masses on the northern slope,
in proper trim. If they paid a little attention in this respect, and by a judicious display and are interspersed with various evergreens; gladioli, of a variegated kind, crop up
of shrubs and flowers, they would not so often have empty houses lying for months
upon their hands. Upon architects also a duty devolves in laying out and planning for from the opening, and masses of pampas grass with hollyhock, are in unusual
combinations. Of course this is an autumnal or late summer picture of what may be
house property, whether the design be a gentleman’s mansion or plan for the witnessed. Hot-air chambers have been formed under all the houses, for forcing
construction of a number of detached or semi-detached villas; they have it in their
power to enhance the letting value of the house property by considering the gardening mushrooms, seakale, rhubarb and other vegetables, and for heating the soils for
potting in the winter time. The sedum spectabile has been made good use of by Mr.
question, and designing with a view to the cultivation of plants and flowers in the Garnier to form a margin between the wall and the flower border which makes a circuit
grounds allotted, or in the construction of conservatories.
of the walls; it is a plant of good growth and lasts until November. It first comes out
white and then changes to pink afterwards. The whole of this garden in the West is in
In connection with the dwellings of the wealthy, of late years, the province and practice grass, with the spaces between the beds of about five feet, thus making every object
of the architect is very much enlarged, and his relationships to gardening are much stand out distinct. The glass-houses form a very fine group, and taken in connection
more close. His assistance is required in the construction not only of green-houses, with the backing of mountain cover, and groups of trees, purple heath and fern, afford
conservatories, but of hot-houses, forcing houses, pineries, orangeries, and other
cognate buildings.... a most pleasing sight. By the arrangement of masses of colour in scrolls, and by the
flowers of every hue in the larger beds, all monotonous effect is got rid of. Every kind
of conifer almost has been used, and if sheltered properly, seems to do well. The picea
There is no doubt that gardening is a most useful sanitary agent, and that flowers are a
disinfectant in many situations. Near to poor and over-crowded localities in the sister nobilis and P. Nordmannii, the pineaus ingignis, and the pineus Aurtria, are found to be
the fittest conifers for this garden; they are found to thrive very well, though the
kingdoms, where public parks and gardens have been opened for a time, the mortality gardens are said to be more exposed than the grounds around the castle.
decreased, and the general health of the inhabitants greatly improved. Modern
sanitary reform has achieved many triumphs for the human race, and it is to the Every one who has witnessed Mr. Mitchell Henry’s gardening experiments at the Pass of
labours of some architects and engineers we owe much of the benefits we are Kylemore, both English visitors and native ones, are agreed that the arrangements are
enjoying, both in the establishment of public parks, baths and fountains, but in
systems of warming, ventilation, drainage, and constant water supply, matters closely admirable; and the beauty of the flower beds, with the rich emerald green of the grass,
invest the whole scene with an inexpressible charm. We trust that the wild gales of the
connected with gardening wants as well as household and human ones.
Atlantic will not succeed in injuring the beauty of this oasis in the Wilds of Connemara.
We may add that Mr. Henry has been for some time engaged in laying down in this
Henceforth gardening and architecture must be allied and work in unison for the district 300,000 trees a year. According as these grow strong and hardy they will be
benefit of the human race. The architect will need to have knowledge of gardening transplanted on the mountain height facing the Atlantic, in view of protecting the
wants, and the gardener cannot do without the services of the architect. As time moves
on they will be found to be indispensible to each other, unless, indeed, architecture garden in future from its gales. The absence of trees in the district of Connemara and
elsewhere in the West of Ireland is, indeed, a grievous want. A look of loneliness and
and building sinks back into excavation, and gardening once more merges into the utter solitude is given to places where trees are not to be seen. With enterprise and
fields and valleys, and the wild flowers are
energy, there is no limit to what can be achieved even in the most unpromising places.
We wish there were a few more energetic attempts at improvement like Mr. henry’s. His
... “ Born to blush unseen,
property, we believe, consist of 300,000 acres - an immense area, indeed, and affording
room for mighty improvements. Between the money laid out upon the grounds and
And waste their sweetness on the desert air.”
gardens, and in the building of the mansion there cannot be less at present expended
than a few hundred thousand pounds.
... We cannot conclude our subject on “Early Gardening in Ireland” better than by giving
an account of the most elaborate and recent attempt made in this country at It would be a pleasure to us to think that some of the native nobility, gentry, and
gardening on a gigantic scale. It may be characterised as an effort at solving, for the merchants of this country would be moved soon to pay a little more attention to the
first time in Ireland, or rather working out, a great horticultural problem. The man who
has undertaken to carry out this experiment is Mr. Mitchell Henry, M.P. for Galway, and improvement of their property, or even their residential seats. While strangers are
purchasing large properties and settling down to reside in this country, appreciating its
the ground chosen- the wilds of Connemara. At one end of the Pass of Kylemore, Mr. beauty and the excellence of the climate, those who ought to know better betake
Henry is at present completing a castellated residence. The exterior of the house is
built of Dublin granite, and there are facings of Ballynahinch marble and Ballinasloe themselves off to the crowded capital of London or other equally crowded capitals on
the Continent, for fashion sake alone; and many, many of them, of late years, who have
limestone. Caen stone is used in connection with the hall and the gallery.
won their wealth in this island, have breathed their last in the narrow streets of
London.
In respect to the gardening operations, too much cannot be said in their favour. Five
years ago there was nothing to be seen but a wild waste of furze and heath; and there
We have done. If in tracing the rise and progress of gardening in Ireland from the