Supporters of Kylemore Abbey in Connemara, Co Galway will gather on Wednesday, April 20 in New York City for the second annual Spirit of Kylemore Awards at the 101 Club on Park Avenue in Manhattan at 6 pm.

The event is a benefit for the Benedictine Monastery Campaign at Kylemore, one of Ireland’s most iconic heritage attractions set on 1,000 acres of mountainside in Connemara.

Originally built in 1868 as a private home, Kylemore Castle was bought in 1920 by an order of Benedictine Nuns, founded in Belgium in the 16th century, and became Kylemore Abbey.

Today, Kylemore is a place of spirituality, heritage, and natural beauty, welcoming thousands of visitors and pilgrims each year.  

Since 1920, the Benedictine nuns have made Kylemore a place of education, culture, and faith, continuing their long tradition in women’s education at their international girls’ school until 2010.

That tradition of education is kept alive at Kylemore through an innovative partnership with the University of Notre Dame, whose Kylemore Abbey Global Centre gives students an opportunity to experience Ireland in their on-site programs.

This year’s honorees are John D. Feerick, dean emeritus and professor at Fordham Law School, who will receive the Buan Chara Award for continued friendship and support to the nuns of Kylemore; Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling, honored for public service and contribution to society benefitting the lives of others; and Loretta Brennan Glucksman, honored for her contribution to Irish American relations through hospitality, heritage and culture.

Tickets are $400 and sponsorship is available. Visit the Irish American Partnership website for more information.

*This column first appeared in the February 23 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.