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Birr Castle

TOWNPARKS, BIRR, COUNTY OFFALY

+353 57 912 0336 | www.birrcastle.com

In 1620, Sir Laurence Parsons built a new castle on the site of an older building, and then extensively refurbished it in the 1640s. The nineteenth century saw Birr become a great centre of scientific research, when William Parsons, the third Earl, built a great telescope in the grounds. His wife Mary, whose fortune helped him to build the telescope and make many improvements to the castle, was a keen photographer. Her perfectly preserved dark room is one of the many fascinating aspects of the castle’s superbly decorated interior. The castle grounds are open to the public and have been enhanced to include a Science Centre.

Birr Castle remains the private residence of the Parsons family.