House & Family History: With its luscious Georgian interiors, Birr Castle is an important stop for anyone interested in fine furniture, paintings, and the decorative arts. But the real reason one goes to Birr is because of the sky! The 1840s telescope constructed by 3rd Earl of Rosse at Birr was the largest telescope in the world for more than 70 years. The Earl, starting from virtually first principles, designed and had built the mirrors, tube, and mountings for the 72-inch reflecting telescope that enabled him to study and record details of distant stellar objects and to provide evidence that many of these nebulae were actually galaxies located far outside our own. Birr, being located in the center of Ireland, was a perfect vantage point for his celestial studies. Today Birr Castle is home to Ireland's Historic Science Centre, which contains astronomical instruments, cameras, photographs, and photographic equipment used by the 3rd and 4th Earls and Mary, Countess of Rosse, in the middle and late 19th century. Also on display is electrical and engineering equipment originally belonging to Charles Algernon Parsons, son of the 3rd Earl and inventor of the steam turbine. There is also an area devoted to the botanical work carried out in the Demesne housed in the restored Stables of the Castle. The wife of the 6th Earl of Rosse, Anne Messel, was the mother by a former marriage of Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon, who was married to Princess Margaret between 1960 and 1978.

Country Life: CXXXVII, 410, 468, 526, 1965.

House Listed: Unknown

Park Listed: Unknown

Current Seat / Home of: Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse; Parsons family here since 1620.

Past Seat / Home of: O'Carroll family, 16th century. James Butler, 12th Earl of Ormonde, early 17th century.

Current Ownership Type: Charity / Nonprofit

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

Ownership Details: The estate is owned by The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation; the castle is the home of the Earl of Rosse and his family.

House Open to Public: Grounds Only

Phone: 35350-920-336

Fax: 35350-921-583

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.birrcastle.com

Historic Houses Member: No