Birr Castle

Birr Castle was built in the early 17th C. and later besieged on a number of occasions. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was several times altered and enlarged. About 1840 the third Earl of Rosse, to whose descendant the castle still belongs, designed and constructed a giant telescope - for some 80 years the largest in the world - and set it up in the grounds of the castle. With this telescope he was the first to discover spiral nebulae. The building in which the telescope (now in the Science Museum in London) was housed can still be seen in the park. There is a model of the telescope and a small display of optical apparatus and drawings.

Temporary exhibitions are mounted in the Exhibition Gallery.

Two rivers and a lake are the focal point of the magnificent gardens of Castle Birr. Terraces, an arboretum and wonderfully maintained gardens make the parks of Birr Castle a must to see for garden lovers.