Working, Living & Travelling In Ireland

Tag: Kylemore Abbey

  • Connemara Maths Academy : Smallbusiness interview West of Ireland

    Connemara Maths Academy : Smallbusiness interview West of Ireland

    Hello all,

    It’s been a busy weekend as I took part in the 5th Walking Festival on Inishbofin Co. Galway, and had an incredible time.  We are regular visitors to Inishbofin, but it’s the first time I took part in the Walking Festival. The weather was amazing, beautiful walks and great company! Check out the Inishbofin website and Facebookpage to keep informed of events, there is quite a few during the year. Below is a video I made of some of the pictures I took !

    Read my previous article about Inishbofin here.

    My next small business is located in Connemara, which is the area you need to drive through to get to Inishbofin. Let’s hear it from Aengus from Connemara Maths!

    Aengus O'Connor B.Sc., D.L.S., M.Phil., P.D.E. Director, CMA
    Aengus O’Connor B.Sc., D.L.S., M.Phil., P.D.E.
    Director, CMA

    Tell us a bit about yourself & where you are located in the West of Ireland.

    I live in Connemara and run residential summer programmes for teens (10-17) at three centres in absolutely stunning locations along the Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) at Kylemore Abbey, Glenstal Abbey & Killary Centre.

    Can you provide me with a description of your business?

    Summer Camps for teenagers where learning through discovery, creativity & adventure is the corner stone of our philosophy in a maths centered programme.

    How long have you been in business? In this business? In other businesses?

    This summer 2016 will be our third season. We started in 2014 with two weeks and 40 students and are now open for 7 weeks. Our summer camps sold out last year and bookings are up three fold already this year. Are you ready to be swept away? Check out this video:

    How did you get started in this business?

    Having worked as a musician and with qualifications in Maths and Music performance & media technology I have always used music tech and media technology when teaching mathematics. When I returned to Ireland in 2012 I saw an opportunity to offer programmes that had maths at its centre through using creative technologies and adventure activities. It’s a great combination and kids have a ball. We have the latest technologies such as Virtual Reality where students will build their own virtual worlds.

    Is this your full time job, a hobby or a bit of both?

    Full time.

    How did you get the background and skills necessary to run this type of business?

    I spent many years studying and working! B.Sc (Maths); DLS (Law); M.Phil (Music & Media Tech); PDE (Maths). I worked as s teacher, lecturer, head of department & principal in UK for three years, Italy (3yrs), Switzerland (1 yr) & Syria (3yrs) while also working as a consultant in Saudi Arabia and UAE. International experience is vital I think.

    How do you market your business? How are people aware of your business? 

    Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest

    You may find our website here http://www.connemaramathsacademy.com/

    Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?

    We see ourselves being the number 1 Summer Camp provider in Europe within the next 5 years.

    Do you plan to compete in the global market place? If yes, how? If no, why not?

    We already do. 30% of our students are from over seas, US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Ukraine & Brazil.

    How has technology, such as computers and the internet, impacted on how you conduct business?

    Our business is dependent on technologies so it impacts is hugely. For example Virtual Reality ( VR) is now available at consumer prices so we can use this to great effect.

    What do you love about the area you live in/do business in?

    Connemara is in my blood and my family and I can’t imagine living anywhere else!

    Whom do you seek advice from for your business/ do you meet up with other business owners? If so, where?r.

    My business partner Kim Moran.

    Kim Moran, Marketing Executive, Connemara Maths Academy
    Kim Moran, Marketing Executive, Connemara Maths Academy

    Can you describe your customers?

    Happy students & parents!

    Why do your customers select you over your competitors?

    We offer a unique programme with the very best teachers and the latest technologies. Our methodologies work and students benefit enormously from our programmes.

    What are the biggest challenges for running this business?
    Marketing.

    What keeps you going, when the chips are down?

    Marketing.

    Do you support local charities? If so which is your favourite charity and why?

    Yes. Learnstorm (formerly Mathletes)

    Any tips for someone who is thinking of starting their own business?

    Exercise often & consult a mentor regularly. Always know how many sales you currently have & make sure your cash flow is secure.  Sales, sales, sales.

    What did you learn from this interview?

    That marketing is key while quality should never be compromised.

    Please share this interview, as I’d like to start a small movement to highlight the brilliant businesses in the West of Ireland!  If you would like to be interviewed, please drop me an email to katleen@workinglivingtravellinginireland.com and I’ll be in touch.

    Connect with me on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook!

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  • Kylemore Abbey and the Belgian connection

    Kylemore Abbey and the Belgian connection

    Hi all,

    We are just back from a long drive to Kylemore Abbey, which is located in the middle of Connemara in Co. Galway.

    It took us 2 hours to do 140 Kilometres and we were still in the same County!  (I was in Dublin last week, and that trip is 200 milometers, and it took me the same time!) It’s a great drive, but as you get further and further away from Galway city, the roads gets windier, more bumpy, and the odd loose running sheep might reduce your speed. As you drive out of Oughterard, you enter Connemara, with its rugged mountains, beautiful colours, a real treat to the eye!

    We have been to Kylemore Abbey before, and as the weather was looking promising, I thought we’d go again. I am so glad we did, as the last time we went to the Easter Egg Hunt, we got rained out! This time the weather was on our side, and we had a fabulous time!
    Just a tip – the grounds are extensive, so make sure you are wearing good footwear and why not book your tickets online, it will save you 10 %, so you can have that extra cake/bun/drink:)

    If you have never been to Connemara, I thought I’d  share this video again, as it combines the song from a French singer called Michel Sardou, with beautiful images of Connemara.

    We arrived at around 12 and visited the restaurant, which has superb, home cooked food. Where possible the restaurant sources its ingredients from the estate.
    Once our bellies were full, we had to take the mandatory picture at the Lake with Kylemore Abbey as a backdrop!
    It’s a short walk to a bus stop that brings you to the walled gardens. You could also walk it instead of getting onto the bus, but I would allow at least half an hour from the bus stop to the walled Gardens.
    As we were approaching the bus, we were met by an Easter Bunny!
    Once off the bus, I had to take a picture of the backdrop, a feast to the eye!
    The kids picked up their Clue Sheet that brought us to the Walled Garden.
    As you can see the weather was stunning!
    Here some pictures of the Walled Garden, so worth a visit!!

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The kids followed a trail through the walled gardens, with all kinds of clues. Once they had found all the clues and written their answers on the sheet, they were given an Easter Egg. It didn’t take long for those to disappear in their tummies.
    I wasn’t exactly looking forward to a 2 hours drive back to base, so I decided to lie down on the grass, get some some sun rays, and have my tea and chocolate brownie (there goes my diet… haha)

     

    Oh yes, and the Belgian connection….in 1920, the Castle and Estate were bought by a community of nuns of the St. Benedictine order. The Irish Benedictine Nuns were refugees from Ypers, Flanders, and had fled from their monastery in 1914 during World War 1 bombardment of the city by advancing German army. Their history history is a long and eventful one reaching back to the community’s foundation in 1665.
    During the 17th and 18th centuries, when Penal Laws were in place in Ireland, the Abbey in Ypres attracted the daughters of the Irish nobility, both as students and postulants and enjoyed the patronage of many influential Irish families living in Exile.
    You can read more detail here
    I think I could do with another cup of tea!!
    Cheers,
    Katleen

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  • Easter Egg Hunt at Kylemore Abbey and Dublin

    Easter Egg Hunt at Kylemore Abbey and Dublin

    Dear Readers,
    Unfortunately the sunny weather left us just before the kids went onto their Easter Break ( 2 weeks) but this did not stop us going on a few Easter Egg Hunts around the country.
    I recently became a fully fledged member of “Vlamingen in the Wereld” ( Flemish people around the world) and they organized an egg hunt in Dalkey. Thinking about it, the day of the actual actual Egg hunt turned out a very bright day, and the kids had plenty of fun running outside on the grounds of St Patricks . The eggs were hidden around the grounds, all wrapped in a see through bag.

    Once all the eggs were found , they were put into various boxes and then equally distributed between all the kids.
    I took a picture of all the various Belgian/Irish kids, there was more than I had expected!
     

    Most Belgians live around Dublin, and I was the only one who came from Galway, but I am glad I did, it was a great day! ( I am looking forward to the next activities, a BBQ, a visit to a petfarm etc..)

    Our second Egg Hunt was at Kylemore Abbey in Co. Galway. Although we live in Galway, we live in East Galway, so to drive from our house to Kylemore Abbey, takes about 2 hours! 
    The weather was damp, went and windy, but it was absolulely worth the trip!

    The gardens are beautiful and I would highly recommend a visit to Kylemore Abbey!

    You can book your tickets online too, you’ll save 10% ( money you can spend in the tearooms with yummie cakes lol ).
    I’d recommend you read  the story of Kylemore Abbey, it’s inspiring:)

    As it happens we weren’t alone, I overheard people speaking French, German, Italian, and I got talking to a couple with their young kids from New Zealand. To make some small talk, I asked if they enjoyed our “damp” weather, and they said they loved it ! Exactly what they were hoping for. Turns out they live in Sierra Leone, and rain isn’t something they ever see, so you see, it all depends, some tourists really don’t mind our damp weather! After getting completely drenched, we treated ourselves to tea and cakes, and the easter eggs, well, they didn’t stand a chance!

    A Happy Easter to all!
    Katleen

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  • So where did we go last time?

    So where did we go last time?

    Dear Readers,

    It’s nearly the end of the Easter Holidays here in Ireland and the weather has been fantastic for most of the time.
    As I mentioned in an earlier post ( though no one actually guessed where we’d been!!!) we visited some beautiful grounds last week.

    The beautiful grounds were at  Kylemore Abbey, in Connemara, County Galway.
    This may sound far away:) from Galway City, but in reality it’s only an hours drive from Galway City.
    (you can also book a bus tour. Here is just a selection of operators : Healy Tours or Failte Tours )

    Kylemore is home to a community of nuns of the Benedictine Order, who came here in 1920 after their abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed in world ward 1. Settling at Kylemore, the Benedectine community opened a world renowned boarding school for girls & began restoring the Abbey, Gothich Church & garden to their former Glory. I’d highly recommend the Victorian Gardens and the Neo Gothic church.
    Have a look at their website  for some visuals.To get 10 % discount on your tickets, buy them online here
    Kylemore Abbey from Diamond HillImage via Wikipedia
    This is a picture of Kylemore Abbey in the Con...Image via Wikipedia
    Inside view of the little gothic Chapel at Kyl...Image via Wikipedia

    Connemara on a cloudy day.Image via Wikipedia

    If that’s too long of a trip, I’d suggest you break  up your journey, and have a stop over in Oughterard.
    There is playground now, and once you are passed the village, there is a picknic area on the left with benches, overlooking the Owenriff River.
    I have a bit of a soft spot for Oughterard, as we lived there for a couple of years. When we lived there, we lived a stonesthrow away from Aughnanure Castle, which is worth a visit too!( and for those who like golfing, there a great golfcourse( and bar:)  ) and if fishing is your thing, check out The Oughterard website.

    Oughterard/Uachtar Ard, near to Oughterard, Ga...Image via Wikipedia

    More visits to hidden gems in Co. Galway coming up soon!!

    Katleen

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