Described by the state broadcaster RTE as “One of the Seven Wonders of Ireland,” Birr Castle in County Offaly has been the private family home of the Parsons family since the early 17th century.
The “demesne” — an old word used to describe the lands and buildings held by an estate for its own use and occupation — is world famous for its natural delights. These include exotic tree and plant collections, rivers and a lake, formal gardens, terraces and wildflower meadows.
There first castle on the site was built by the Normans in 1170. From the 14th to the 17th century, the O’ Carroll family owned the castle and demesne, from where they ruled a territory of about 160 square miles known as Ely O’ Carroll. In 1620, the castle was granted to English Adventurer Sir Laurence Parsons, who built the core of the present castle. Having suffered damage in the wars of the seventeenth century, the building was later reconstructed and enlarged.
Today, the Castle Gardens extend across 120 acres of a 17th century park, which has an outstanding collection of about 2000 species of rare trees and shrubs. In the Millennium Garden, a Yew lined avenue leads to the world’s tallest Box Hedges (according to the Guinness Book of Records), which were first planted in the 18th century.
Birr Castle is also famous for its Great Telescope, designed and built in 1845 by William Parson, the 3rd Earl of Rosse, with which he made many important discoveries. The instrument’s huge speculum, six feet long, was cast in a furnace that was built at the bottom of the castle moat, and was fired by turf off the local bogs. For over 70 years, it was the largest telescope in the world. Its power enabled an unprecedented and unrivalled view into deep space, and the observatory attracted leading astronomers of that time from America, Australia and Imperial Russia.
There is a long history of science associated with the castle, and the Parsons family, and today the castle’s stables are home to Ireland’s Historic Science Centre. The Centre exhibits astronomical instruments, cameras, photographs and photographic equipment that were used by various members of the family throughout the 1800s, as well as items relating to the pioneering work of other Irish scientists. Also on display is electrical and engineering equipment originally belonging to Charles Parsons, as well as a large area devoted to the botanical work carried out in the Demesne.
Since 2003, the demesne is also home to the National Birds of Prey Centre, where eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls can all be seen.