12 (40) The French Nuns Kylermore was sold in 1903 to one Mr. Zimmermann from Cincinnati who gave it to his daughter, the duchess of Manchester. So much money was invested in the mansion that the owners became insolvent and had to sell off the property. In 1920 Nuns of the Benedictine Order from Ypres in Belgium bought Kylermore and turned it into a monastery and a boarding school. The nuns' predecessors where in fact of Irish origin, since they had fled the religious oppression in Ireland in 1665 and settled down in Ypres. Their modern successors concluded the circle and came back to Ireland to establish the Order in Kylermore. The locals called them "The French Nuns".   11 13 First published: Friday 20th December, 2002 Send a to the author! You may also use this form