they were evacuated to England where they remained until 1920. The nuns continued to offer education to Catholic girls, opening an international boarding school and establishing a day school for girls from the locality. The school was the main educational establishment for most girls from Renvyle, Letterfrack and further afield for almost a century but it was forced to close in 2010. The nuns have since been developing new education and retreat activities. At the General Chapter, that was held in July 2022 at the Buckfast Abbey, the Kylemore Abbey was accepted to the English Benedictine Congregation along with two other new communities of nuns: Mariavall Abbey from Sweden and Jamberoo Abbey from Australia. University of Notre Dame - Kylemore Abbey Global Centre Since 2015, the Abbey has a partnership with the University of Notre Dame of the US. The abbey hosts academic programmes for Notre Dame students, and the university renovated spaces in the abbey. The programmes started in 2016 with about 100 students moving to Kylemore, a dedication ceremony was attended by Fr. Timothy Scully, Justice Peter Kelly(President of the High Court of Ireland) and Mother Abbess Máire Hickey OSB of Kylemore, as well as the US and Canadian ambassadors. Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, some of its executive business programme, such as the Inspirational Leadership course at kylemore. The art en plein air class and flute master class by Sir James Galway were also hosted in Kylemore. The Kylemore Abbey Biodiversity Stewardship Programme commenced in 2021 in partnership with the School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway, to document and allow students to research the biodiversity of the Kylemore estate. Gardens The Estate includes large walled Victorian Gardens. Since the 1970s these have been open for public tours and nature walks. The Benedictine community has restored the Abbey's gardens and church with donations and local artisans in order to be a self-sustaining estate. The gardens include a Kitchen Garden and a flower garden, the original walled garden was laid out by head gardener, James Garnier in 1870. A complete restoration commenced in 1995. In the Media Kylemore Abbey was featured in the UK cooking show Two Fat Ladies, Series 3 Episode 1 "Benedictine Nuns" (1998). The host cooks Jennifer Paterson & Clarissa Dickson-Wright, cooked dinner for the Benedictine nuns that live, work and worship at the abbey. Kylemore Abbey and the nuns featured on RTE's Nationwide TV