Birr Castle Demesne
Up to 10km of tracks · Flat to gently rolling elevation
About
The 120 acres inside the demesne wall are what a general admission ticket buys, and it is worth being precise about that, because the castle itself is still the Parsons family's home and the interior is not included. What you get is the parkland: around ten kilometres of walking tracks, a lake, two rivers, waterfalls, a plant collection the estate puts at over 5,000 species, the formal gardens and castle terraces, St Brendan's Well, the Great Telescope, the seven galleries of Ireland's Historic Science Centre, the I-LOFAR radio telescope site, and Ireland's tallest treehouse with an adventure playground beside it. Several free self-guided trails come with the ticket: the Red Tree Trail over about five kilometres and 65 specimen trees, a two-kilometre Solar Trail where each step stands for over 1.6 million kilometres of space, an Engineering Trail, a Flora Trail from May to June and a bird-spotting sheet. Lower terrace of the formal gardens holds the box hedges that Guinness World Records lists as the tallest in the world at 11 metres, and which it describes as at least three centuries old. The suspension bridge of about 1820 is not open to the public for safety reasons. There is no parking inside the walls: use the Marian Hall car park opposite the entrance.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓120 acres of parkland and gardens
- ✓The world's tallest box hedges, 11m per Guinness World Records
- ✓The Great Telescope
- ✓Ireland's Historic Science Centre
- ✓Ireland's tallest treehouse and playground
- ✓The Fernery waterfall garden
- ✓St Brendan's Well
- ✓Lake walk past the heronry
Tips
- →General admission does not include the castle interior. The only ways inside are the seasonal Guided Castle Tour or the Christmas Express.
- →There is no car parking inside the demesne. Park in the Marian Hall car park on Cornmarket Street, opposite the entrance, which is pay and display and coin only.
- →Opening hours are seasonal and are not published as text on birrcastle.com; check the booking page before travelling.
- →Dogs are welcome on a short lead in the parkland but not in the Science Centre or the playground.
- →No bikes, scooters, ball games, drones or barbecues inside the walls.
- →Pick up the trail sheets at reception; they are included and they are the best free thing here.
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
Ireland's Historic Science Centre
Seven galleries on the Parsons family's telescopes, early photography and engineering, including the oldest intact darkroom in the world.
The Great Telescope, the Leviathan of Parsonstown
The 72-inch reflector the Third Earl of Rosse finished in 1845, the largest telescope in the world until the 100-inch Hooker went up at Mount Wilson in 1917.
Birr Theatre and Arts Centre
The Oxmantown Hall of 1888, opened in January 1889, restored by the town and reopened in 2000 as a 220-seat theatre and the hub of Birr's festivals.