In 1840, the 3 rd Earl of Rosse ordered that the «Leviathan of Parsonstown», the most powerful telescope at that time, be set up here. Its lens (183 cm) was cast in a furnace, which was specially installed at the top of the feudal mound and fired wi..

These ornamental gardens (40 ha) contain over 1 000 tree and shrub species. The 4th baronet developed the grounds by creating a lake out of marshland and planting numerous trees. However, it was the 6th earl who turned the estate into one of the worl..

In contrast to the unremarkable scenery of central Ireland, these mountains rise among the peat bogs. Planted with pine and spruce, their highest point is the summet of Arderin (527m). They and their fine views are best discovered on foot along the S..

Oxmantown Mall leads from the gates of the castle, between two rows of elegant Georgian houses with an avenue of mature trees, to the Anglican church of St Brendan (19C). Built in 1899, Oxmantown Hall is decorated with sculptured wooden gables and he..

The museum, which retraces the town's history, is located in a former school built in 1833. It is modelled on a Greek temple, according to a design by Bernard Mullins and is flanked by the stone of Birr, an enormous limestone rock, probably once part..

The exhibition in the stable courtyard commemorates the outstanding achievements of the Parsons family, including the construction of the first wrought iron suspension bridge in Ireland by the 2nd Earl of Rosse, the Leviathan, the first steam turbine..