Local knowledge, practical tips, and in-depth guides to help you get the most out of your visit.
The castle is a private family home and is not included in general admission. Here is what the ticket does cover, how to get inside the house, and the practical rules that catch visitors out.
Read guideAn hour on foot through a town laid out on purpose from a demesne wall, and what the 27 blue plaques of the Birr FAN Trail are actually about.
Read guideHow a Victorian earl cast his own mirrors in an Offaly workshop, built the largest telescope in the world, and drew the spiral arms of a galaxy for the first time.
Read guideAward-winning kitchens in a town of under five thousand, and why the opening days matter more than the menus.
Read guideVintage Week since 1968, a classical festival on the May bank holiday, a film festival in October and a Christmas train into the castle. What runs when, and where to check.
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