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Town in County Offaly, Ireland
Photo: Stanley Howe, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Birr (Biorra, "plain of water") is a town in County Offaly in the Midlands of Ireland, with a population of 4700 in 2022. It’s a well-preserved Georgian town with graceful streets and elegant buildings. From 1620 to 1899 it was called Parsonstown for the Parsons family who were local landowners and Earls of Rosse. In the Victorian era the 3rd Earl built a telescope that put Birr at the leading edge of astronomy.
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The castle was built from 1620 and "gothicised" in the 19th century. It's the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, Brendon Parsons (b 1936), with guided tours. But the main attraction is the grounds and gardens, of which the centrepiece is "The Leviathan of Parsonstown", the great telescope completed in 1845. It's a 72-inch reflector: the third Earl devised methods of grinding a mirror weighing three tons, and it was the world's largest telescope until 1917. It was mounted on an iron arc, giving it a wide range of altitude, but limited azimuth (side-to-side) so objects could only stay in view for an hour. The telescope was used to 1890 then succumbed to disuse, but was restored in the 1990s. In 2017 a low-frequency radio telescope was installed in the castle grounds.
Theatre, music, film, dance and comedy.
Woodland course, blue tees 5853 m, par 70.
They offer lessons and treks.
Friendly place for trad Italian pizza.
Coffee shop and deli.
This 200-year-old thatched pub serves trad Irish fare, some vegetarian options.
Charming bar founded in 1823 with cosy turf fires and dark wood interiors. Sometimes has trad Irish music.
Old style pub with good atmosphere and food.
Midrange hotel in 1747 coaching inn (though modern within), does good food.
Georgian townhouse with five guestrooms. It also has a tea-room and shop.
B&B in townhouse with tapas restaurant. Rooms at the front get traffic noise.
Smart hotel in Georgian mansion at south edge of town.
Welcoming B&B 2 km southeast of town.
Taxi firms are DK Cabs (+353 87 690 2174) and Hensey’s (+353 87 666 1420).
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Shannon · International · SNN
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