THE sight of President Connolly welcoming the Connemara pony mare Park Ruby and her foal Peaceful Pippa (Peaceful Spartan) is one that evoked pure patriotic pride this week. The ponies, affectionately known as the “Peaceful Ponies” of Kylemore Abbey, will spend the summer welcoming visitors and international dignitaries to Áras an Uachtaráin.

The initiative by Kylemore Abbey is the continuation of both the estate’s dedicated promotion of Ireland’s native pony to a global audience and of Irish presidential links to the Connemara that spans decades. Both Kylemore Abbey and President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, are deeply rooted in Galway, making the visit a fitting tribute.

Commenting on the initiative, President Connolly remarked: “I am delighted to welcome Ruby and Pippa to Áras an Uachtaráin for the summer months. Connemara Ponies have an important place in the culture and heritage of West of Ireland life. I am very grateful to Kylemore Abbey for their help with this initiative and I know that all of the visitors to Áras an Uachtaráin will treasure the opportunity of being close to our only native pony breed.”

Mother Karol O’Connell OSB, Abbess at Kylemore Abbey, accompanied the ponies on their journey to Dublin. “The Connemara Ponies are an integral part of the landscape surrounding Kylemore Abbey and have become part of everyday life for our Benedictine Community,” she said. “Each spring, we look forward with great joy to the arrival of the foals. It is a privilege to share that joy, and this special part of the Connemara landscape, with President Catherine Connolly and the many visitors and international dignitaries who will visit Áras an Uachtaráin over the summer.”

Historic link

The Connemara pony’s link to the Uachtarán na hÉireann dates back to 1974. At the time President Erskine Childers sought to ensure the preservation of Ireland’s native pony by presenting a selection of true to type ponies to the State.

This pony herd took up permanent residence at the Connemara National Park when it was established in 1980. In a full circle moment, the mare Park Ruby (Park Snowy Breeze x Park Fiona) who will spend her summer at the Áras was bred at the Connemara National Park and is a descendant from the original pony herd.

Connemara ponies were introduced to Kylemore Abbey in 2019, with the first foal bred under the ‘Peaceful’ prefix arriving on Easter Sunday 2020.

At the time the country was in the depths of the Covid pandemic and the arrival of this new life inspired CEO Conor Coyne to write to the then President Michael D Higgins to share the good news that there were signs of a brighter future in the west.

“The foal became a symbol of rebirth, and we wanted to share this good news story of hope to a wider audience. Kylemore Abbey’s mission is to showcase the best of the West of Ireland whether that is through supporting local producers, suppliers, growers or our native breeds,” Coyne shared of how the initiative began.

The following spring of 2021, Gray Lass and her colt foal made the 280km journey to Phoenix Park, where then President Higgins named the colt Aimhirgin after a celebrated warrior-poet of Irish mythology.

Building on the success of this presidential partnership the Peaceful ponies spent the summer of 2022 at the Irish National Stud to showcase our native pony alongside some of racing’s most iconic thoroughbred legends. This collaboration occurred again in 2023 and 2025, and last week mare Fern and filly foal Peaceful Poppy settled into their Kildare paddocks as part of this growing annual tradition.