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BIRR CASTLE
Birr, County Offaly
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One of the remarkable things in Irish history is when
a family has manages to maintain their estates through
the centuries. Birr Castle is one of these.
There was a castle on this site as early as 1170, and
between the 14th and 17th centuries the O'Carroll clan
ruled the region, becoming known as Ely O'Carroll Country.
The Ely O'Carroll's were the most powerful sept in the
clan.
It was in the 1620s when Sir Charles O'Carroll passed
away and Sir Laurence Parsons was granted Birr Castle
and approximately 1277 acres around it, covering about
5.2 sq. miles.
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Parsons hired English stonemasons to construct a new
castle on the site. The location wasn't on the original
O'Carroll's Black Tower site, but on the location of the
gatehouse. "Flankers" were added to the gatehouse
diagonally at either side, giving the castle the plan
it retains today.
The castle passed to the younger son William on the passing
of his father, Sir Laurence. In 1641, during the Irish
Rebellion, the castle was besieged for fifteen months
by Catholic forces. After the civil war, William's son
Laurence refurbished the castle around 1677.
A later descendent, also called Laurence and who was
the 2nd Earl of Rosse, undertook the rebuilding of the
castle. The height was raised and "Gothicized"
in the early 1800s. Further restorative works were carried
out by another William, 3rd Earl of Rosse. He's responsible
for the construction of the Great Telescope. It was completed
in 1845, at the height of the Great Famine, and was the
largest telescope in the world. It was capable of capturing
more light and seeing further into space than any other
telescope had done before.
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Gatehouse |
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As a result, Birr became a focus for astronomical observations.
Visitors came from all over the world to look through
the telescope, including English mathematician, philosopher,
inventor and mechanical engineer Charles Babbage, and
the Prince Imperial of France, Napoléon IV.
When the 3rd Earl passed away, his son carried on the
family's scientific tradition. The 4th Earl, another Lawrence,
is noted for having measured the heat of the moon.
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After Lawrence's death in 1908, the telescope fell into
disrepair. The mirror was taken to the Science Museum
in London and in 1914 the telescope's supporting structure
was melted down to be used in World War One. The wooden
structure around the walls was demolished for safety reasons.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the telescope was restored
to its original glory.
The Great Telescope was also known as the Leviathan, and
the Rosse Telescope. It has a 72 inch reflector which was
only surpassed in 1917 by the Hooker Telescope which has
a 100 inch reflector.
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The Great Telescope
aka the Leviathan
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The 4th Earl, Laurence Parsons, and his mother were eminent
photographers in their day. Their darkroom is on display,
which is believed to be the oldest surviving example in
the world of a period darkroom.
Also on site is what is believed to be the oldest wrought
iron bridge in Ireland, dating from 1820.
And according to the Guinness Book of World Records,
the Box Hedges in the walled garden are said to be the
tallest in the world. They date back some 300 years!
The town of Birr, which grew up in the shadow of the
castle estate, much the same as Adare Village did with
. High walls surround this estate to maintain
privacy and security, as in days of old, and is entered
into by a single gatehouse.
Upon entering visitors are greeted by several acres of
lush lawn and woodland.
The estate was landscaped in the 18th century and maintains,
to this day, the original layout and designs, which include
formal gardens, woodland walks, a river, small lake, the
Shell Well, a second gatehouse (photo left) that leads
into the castle itself and informal gardens which surround
the castle.
While the castle itself is actually closed to the public,
the Parsons still residing within, the estate is the focal
point. 30 foot boxwood hedges and exotic trees and shrubs
were gathered during foreign travels that were sponsored
by the 6th Earl of Rosse. Magnolias and maple are particularly
striking when in season. During the summer months it's
not uncommon for buggy races on the main lawn!
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~ Pay attraction
~ Parking available
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Accessible in most instances
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