birr castle and gardens

Birr's best-known feature is undoubtedly the great Gothic frame of the 'Leviathan', the world's largest nineteenth-century telescope - one of the many achievements of a remarkable family whose varied tastes over fourteen successive generations are reflected in the development of this magnificent parkland garden.
It's housed in the courtyard of the imposing castle. There is a press-button recording by Patrick Moore of that history at the tube and walls of the 3rd Earl's telescope which was the largest in the world 1845 to 1909 - its 0.9m diameter metal mirror is in the Science Museum, London. It discovered the spiral or Whirlpool nature of nebulae 37 million light years away.
A generation ago flowers from the gardens were brought weekly by the trailer-load to Birr Castle to be arranged by gardeners. The present Earl and Countess of Rosse still participate in the botanical expeditions to add trees, plants and shrubs from all over the world. Starting from the 18th century, generations of Rosses planned and laid out the park and gardens around the castle which dates in part back to the 1620s.
In order to get a feel for the geography and planting of Birr, visitors should head straight for the River Garden, passing the massive ramparts below the castle. Here in the garden's heartland along the banks of the River Camcor some of Birr's most prized plants can be found, perhaps none more beautiful than a tender collection of magnolias cushioned by a blue carpet in spring.
On the High Walk above the River Garden visitors will come across a large specimen of the rare Chinese tree characterised by its broad corymbs of small fragrant white flowers in June. The Arboretum on the Tipperary side of the river is divided by an avenue of recently planted prunus 'Accolade'.
The walled Garden is divided into a kitchen garden to the north and an ornamental area to the south. On the main north-south axis of the garden an impressive pair of thirty-foot high box hedges - planted over 200 years ago and claimed in the Guinness Book of Records to be the tallest in the world - looms upwards. Before leaving the Walled Garden, visitors should seek out Birr's most famous plant; Paeonia 'Anne Rosse' - a tree peony with large ruffled yellow flowers, streaked with red.
Head gardener Michael Hogan's surplus seasonal produce, from the kitchen garden of the castle, is sold at the castle gates, and the man himself can be contacted for special requests. Plants are also for sale. Do note, there are also picnic tables in the castle grounds.

The gardens extend across 150 acres of an eighteenth-century 'Brownian' demesne park whose lake, rivers, woodlands and sweeping open spaces are adorned by an outstanding collection of nearly 2,000 species of rare trees and shrubs, many grown from seed collected in the wild. Located in the town of Birr.
NGR: N 056047