Built in 1740 by the Frenches, who were an Anglo-Norman family first arrived in Galway in the early fifteenth century. It is said that the family descend from Sir Maximilian Ffrench, the first of the name, whose descendants accompanied their kinsman, William the Conqueror, into England and fought at the Battle of Hastings.
The house was originally known as Kentfield House, before becoming Glenlow or Glenloe House, deriving from the Irish Glean Locha, meaning ‘Glen of the Lake’
The adjacent Abbey was constructed in the 1790's as a private church for the family but was not completed and never consecrated. It is typical of eighteenth-century Church of Ireland chapels.
In the 1980's the house and estate were again sold, this time to the Bourke family who lovingly restored the house and converted it into a hotel.
In the 1990s, two original carriages from the Orient Express were purchased and placed on the grounds of Glenlo Abbey Hotel. Dating from 1927 these carriages served on the Paris to Istanbul to St. Petersburg route; one of the pair was used in the making of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.
Situated just 2 miles from Galway city centre, Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate offers 5-star accommodation, free parking, a golf course, and views of Lough Corrib and the dramatic West of Ireland landscape.
Golfers can enjoy the 138 acre lake-side golf course, a 21-bay driving range, and golf lessons. Falconry, archery and fishing are also available onsite. Enjoy a cycle around Glenlo Abbey Estate with the use of the estate bicycles, complimentary to hotel residents.
Each room at Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate features an en suite marble bathroom with power shower, free Wi-Fi, luxury toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, and a flat-screen TV.
The Pullman Restaurant aboard the Orient Express at the Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate offers a unique dining experience and afternoon tea is served daily. Converted into a restaurant car maintaining its original character, these historic Pullman train carriages offer two dining rooms. Palmers Bar & Kitchen, situated in the main hotel is ideal for casual dining and it has a varied menu, lively atmosphere and cosy surroundings. The River Room Restaurant boasts elegant surroundings.
