Birr
Encyclopedia
Birr is a town in County Offaly
, Ireland
. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse
. It is also a parish
in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
.
Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town with a carefully preserved Georgian heritage. Birr itself has graceful wide streets and elegant buildings. Many of the houses in John's Place and Oxmantown Mall have exquisite fanlight
windows of the Georgian period.
rivers which flow on into the River Shannon
near Victoria Lock.
Birr railway station opened on 8 March 1858, but finally closed on 1 January 1963.
The Ormond Flying Club has been in operation at Birr Airfield
for over 30 years. The area has been linked with aviation for some time - as a British Army airstrip was previously near the current field.
Birr lies on the N52
and N62
national secondary road
s. The routes are combined as they pass through Birr. The R439, R440
and R489
regional road
s also terminate in the town.
Bus Eireann
provide public transport services to the town. The Athlone to Limerick city service regularly passes through the town daily. Kearns privately owned bus service provides a number of direct bus services to Dublin from Birr.
, a cousin of third Earl of Rosse
, fell from a steam powered car on a bend. Unfortunately, the vehicle traversed her, causing the fatal injuries.
. It produced the Gospels of McRegol, named after the abbot at the turn of the 8th/9th century and now to be seen in the Bodleian Library
in Oxford
. The Synod of Birr
, held in 697, was the occasion on which the Cáin Adomnáin
, or law of innocents, was pronounced. The town itself is an old market and former garrison town dating to the 1620s.
s in Ireland, dating from 1747
. The name of Galway
Blazers was given to the Galway
Hunt after a celebration held in the hotel in 1809
resulted in the premises being set on fire. Film director John Huston
was latterly a member of the Galway Blazers. Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba
famously sang to crowds gathered below in the Square, from her hotel room above in Dooly's Hotel. The nightclub attached to the hotel is named "Melba's" to mark the occasion.
. The statue was removed in 1915
as it was in danger of collapse. On the Roscrea
road, near the County Arms Hotel is the beautiful Gothic-style Catholic
church of 1817
–25. St. Brendan's Church of Ireland was also built in Gothic style in 1815 and is located in the Oxmantown Mall. A smaller Methodist Church known as Wesley Chapel was built in 1820 on Emmett Street to accommodate a growing Methodist congregation following the preaching of John Wesley
in the late 18th century in Birr. The Sisters of Mercy
convent
on Wilmer road beside the Catholic church is also a gothic styled building. Most of the convent was converted by Offaly County Council
to civic offices and a public library. Birr was also the site of a workhouse built around the time of the Great Famine. The building is now mainly derelict.
The town was also the location of The Crotty Schism
, one of the few schisms to affect the Catholic Church in Ireland in the 19th century. The ruins of a church on Castle Street was the result of the Crotty Schism however it is now in a derelict condition after it fell into disuse following the end of the schism. The church is known locally as Crotty's Church.
Birr Urban District Council was renamed Birr Town Council
in 2002.
Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town due to the preservation and wealth of Georgian period architecture in the town. The earliest Georgian style buildings dating from 1740s are located in Emmet Square and Emmet street (then known as Cumberland Square and Cumberland Street). The pillar located in the centre of the square supported a statue of the Duke of Cumberland but was removed in the early 20th Century although the pillar remains in the centre of the square. The Oxmantown Mall was laid out in the early 19th Century and was designed as a promenade leading from Birr Castle
gates to the Church of Ireland
. The mall is tree lined on one side with the Georgian houses on the other. John's Mall was also built during this time also with fine Georgian buildings. The area is also known as the chains due to the sturdy chain railings enclosing the central plots in the centre of the Mall. Birr Town Council meets here in a building known as John's Hall built in the style of a Greek Temple. Seffin Stone is also located here which is said to mark the centre of Ireland.
. It is suggested that the indentations are from the hand of Finn MacCool, hence the origin of the name as Suigh Finn , the Seat of Finn. It is located to the left of the gates to St John's Hall, on John's Mall, close to Emmet Square. The Seffin stone was said to mark the centre of Ireland.
is the oldest inhabited home in the county. In the 16th century the O'Carroll
s of Éile
had one of their castles here and this was granted to a Sir Laurence Parsons in the course of the Stuart plantation, c. 1620
. Sir Laurence Parsons built most of the structure of the present castle. The castle was twice besieged in the 17th century and one of the towers still shows the scars of the artillery of Patrick Sarsfield, who tried unsuccessfully to take it. The castle still remains the seat of the Earls of Rosse
and is home to the seventh Earl (Brendan Parsons) at present. As a family home, the Castle is only open to the public on special occasions. The surrounding demesne however is open to tourists every day of the year, and the gardens contain many fine trees and shrubs set in a landscaped park with waterfalls, river and lake.
, an astronomical telescope
with a 72-inch metal mirror erected by the third Earl of Rosse
, which was, until 1917
, the largest telescope in the world. The spiral structure of nebulae was discovered through this telescope. It featured in the PBS (USA) documentary, 'Telescope - Hunting the Edge of Space Part 1: The Mystery of the Milky Way' (2011). Eminent British astromony broadcaster Patrick Moore
wrote 'The Astronomy of Birr Castle (1971)', a history of the telescope and the significance of the work carried out here.
in Birr is one of only four left intact in Ireland. It is located on the R440 road, going in the direction of Dublin from Emmet Square. It is opposite Elm Grove. Not open to the public, it is an austere building and was the home of last resort for many during the Great Famine
. As the workhouses filled, local business owners, whose taxes paid for their upkeep, saw value in offering inhabitants passage to the new world's of America, Canada and Australia. Birr Workhouse recently featured in the TV Series Who Do you Think You Are? (U.S. TV series)
, when US celebrity Rosie O'Donnell
traced her ancestors to a workhouse in County Kildare
. As the relevant building there no longer existed, Rosie visited Birr to illustrate for viewers what a workhouse was like.
, in the event that a sentence fell imminent, Charles signed in full as "Charles Carroll of Carrollton
". The first US Senator for Maryland, he is mentioned in the State song and a former home forms part of Johns Hopkins University
.
, winning the all-Ireland championship four times. Many of Birr's hurlers—including Brian Whelehan—learned their craft at St. Brendan's Community School
, which also boasts a strong musical and scientific tradition.
was played in Hoare's field (currently Tesco) Birr, on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1888, between Tipperary and Galway. The match was won by Tipperary on a score line of 1 goal, 1 point and 1 forfeit point to Galway’s no score. A forfeit point was given against a player carrying the sliotar over his own goal line.
The remarkably low score, albeit under different rules to the modern game, is recorded as the lowest score ever in a hurling match in the Guinness Book Of Records.
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse
Earl of Rosse
Earl of Rosse is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, both times for members of the Parsons family. It is not to be confused with the Scottish title of Earl of Ross. The Parsons family were originally an English family of which five brothers settled in Ireland during the...
. It is also a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
The Diocese of Killaloe is a Roman Catholic diocese in mid-western Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...
.
Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town with a carefully preserved Georgian heritage. Birr itself has graceful wide streets and elegant buildings. Many of the houses in John's Place and Oxmantown Mall have exquisite fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
windows of the Georgian period.
Access and transport
The town is situated at the meeting of the Camcor and Little BrosnaLittle Brosna River
The Little Brosna River rises near Dunkerrin, County Offaly, Ireland. It flows for 44km before joining the River Shannon. -Course:The river rises near Dunkerrin, and enters the River Shannon near Victoria Lock, Meelick...
rivers which flow on into the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
near Victoria Lock.
Birr railway station opened on 8 March 1858, but finally closed on 1 January 1963.
The Ormond Flying Club has been in operation at Birr Airfield
Birr Aerodrome
Birr Airfield is an airport located south of the town of Birr in County Offaly in the Republic of Ireland. It was originally called Birr View Air Strip. The area has always been closely linked with aviation for many years, going back to the British Army Strip which was quite near the present...
for over 30 years. The area has been linked with aviation for some time - as a British Army airstrip was previously near the current field.
Birr lies on the N52
N52 road (Ireland)
The N52 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It links the M7 motorway from just south of Nenagh, County Tipperary to the M1 motorway north of Dundalk in County Louth.The road is long.-Quality of Road:...
and N62
N62 road (Ireland)
The N62 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It links the M6 motorway east of Athlone, County Westmeath with junction 6 of the M8 motorway south-east of Thurles in County Tipperary...
national secondary road
National secondary road
A national secondary road is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network, but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those...
s. The routes are combined as they pass through Birr. The R439, R440
R440 road
The R440 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Birr, County Offaly and Mountrath, County Laois. It passes through the village of Kinnity, Co. Offaly and from there climbs to near the high point of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, crosses into County Laois on the summit plateau and descents to...
and R489
R489 road
The R489 road is a regional road in Ireland linking N52 south of Birr, County Offaly with the N65 2 kilometers south of Portumna, County Galway.The road is long.-References:* – Department of Transport...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
s also terminate in the town.
Bus Eireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
provide public transport services to the town. The Athlone to Limerick city service regularly passes through the town daily. Kearns privately owned bus service provides a number of direct bus services to Dublin from Birr.
The First Ever Road Fatality Recorded In History
On 31 August 1869, the first road fatality recorded in history occurred in Birr, when local born scientist Mary WardMary Ward
Mary Ward may refer to:* Mary Ward , 1585 - 1645, foundress of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an order of Roman Catholic nuns...
, a cousin of third Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, Knight of the Order of St Patrick was an Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope "Leviathan", built 1845, was the world's largest telescope until the early 20th century.-Life:He was born in Yorkshire, England, in the city of...
, fell from a steam powered car on a bend. Unfortunately, the vehicle traversed her, causing the fatal injuries.
History
A monastery was founded at Birr by St Brendan of BirrBrendan of Birr
Saint Brendan of Birr was one of the early Irish monastic saints. He was a monk and later an abbot, of the 6th century. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.- Early life :...
. It produced the Gospels of McRegol, named after the abbot at the turn of the 8th/9th century and now to be seen in the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. The Synod of Birr
Synod of Birr
The Synod of Birr, held at Birr in modern County Offaly, Ireland in 697 was a meeting of churchmen and secular notables. Best remembered as the occasion on which the Cáin Adomnáin—the Law of Innocents—was guaranteed, the survival of a list of the guarantors of the law sheds some light...
, held in 697, was the occasion on which the Cáin Adomnáin
Cáin Adomnáin
The Cáin Adomnáin , also known as the Lex Innocentium was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dál Riatan and Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697. It is named after its initiator Adomnán of Iona, ninth Abbot of Iona after St...
, or law of innocents, was pronounced. The town itself is an old market and former garrison town dating to the 1620s.
Dooly's Hotel
In Emmet Square stands Dooly's Hotel: one of the oldest coaching innCoaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s in Ireland, dating from 1747
1747 in Ireland
-Births:*8 April - William Hales, clergyman and scientific writer .*Denis Daly, landowner, MP and Mayor of Galway .-Deaths:*27 May - Bernard MacMahon, Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher, later Archbishop of Armagh ....
. The name of Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
Blazers was given to the Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
Hunt after a celebration held in the hotel in 1809
1809 in Ireland
-Births:*1 May - Samuel Blackall, soldier, politician and second Governor of Queensland, Australia .*James Duffy, author and publisher .-Deaths:*8 October - Arthur Gore, 2nd Earl of Arran, politician ....
resulted in the premises being set on fire. Film director John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
was latterly a member of the Galway Blazers. Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba
Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba GBE , born Helen "Nellie" Porter Mitchell, was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian Era and the early 20th century...
famously sang to crowds gathered below in the Square, from her hotel room above in Dooly's Hotel. The nightclub attached to the hotel is named "Melba's" to mark the occasion.
Emmet Square
The column in the centre of the square dates from 1747 and was built to carry the statue of the Duke of Cumberland, known as the Bloody Duke and the victor of the Battle of CullodenBattle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
. The statue was removed in 1915
1915 in Ireland
-Events:*April 4–25,000 National Volunteers assemble at the Phoenix Park. John Redmond takes the salute from under the statue of Charles Stewart Parnell on Sackville Street....
as it was in danger of collapse. On the Roscrea
Roscrea
Roscrea is a small heritage town in North Tipperary, Ireland. The town has a population of 4,910. Its main industries include meat processing and pharmaceuticals. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ikerrin...
road, near the County Arms Hotel is the beautiful Gothic-style Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church of 1817
1817 in Ireland
-Births:*6 January - J. J. McCarthy, architect .*26 May - Denis Florence MacCarthy, poet, translator, biographer .*19 September - Charles Joseph Alleyn, lawyer and political figure in Quebec ....
–25. St. Brendan's Church of Ireland was also built in Gothic style in 1815 and is located in the Oxmantown Mall. A smaller Methodist Church known as Wesley Chapel was built in 1820 on Emmett Street to accommodate a growing Methodist congregation following the preaching of John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
in the late 18th century in Birr. The Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
on Wilmer road beside the Catholic church is also a gothic styled building. Most of the convent was converted by Offaly County Council
Offaly County Council
Offaly County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Offaly in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach...
to civic offices and a public library. Birr was also the site of a workhouse built around the time of the Great Famine. The building is now mainly derelict.
The town was also the location of The Crotty Schism
Crotty Schism
The Crotty Schism took place in the early 19th century, when Father Michael Crotty and his cousin, Father William Crotty, broke away from the Catholic Church to form their own church in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland....
, one of the few schisms to affect the Catholic Church in Ireland in the 19th century. The ruins of a church on Castle Street was the result of the Crotty Schism however it is now in a derelict condition after it fell into disuse following the end of the schism. The church is known locally as Crotty's Church.
Birr Urban District Council was renamed Birr Town Council
Birr Town Council
Birr Town Council is a local council for the town of Birr in Co. Offaly. Previously it was known as Birr Urban District Council.-Members:Currently the following are members, along with five others:* Tony McLoughlin, Independent* Seamus Fanneran, Labour...
in 2002.
Georgian Birr
Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town due to the preservation and wealth of Georgian period architecture in the town. The earliest Georgian style buildings dating from 1740s are located in Emmet Square and Emmet street (then known as Cumberland Square and Cumberland Street). The pillar located in the centre of the square supported a statue of the Duke of Cumberland but was removed in the early 20th Century although the pillar remains in the centre of the square. The Oxmantown Mall was laid out in the early 19th Century and was designed as a promenade leading from Birr Castle
Birr Castle
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science...
gates to the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
. The mall is tree lined on one side with the Georgian houses on the other. John's Mall was also built during this time also with fine Georgian buildings. The area is also known as the chains due to the sturdy chain railings enclosing the central plots in the centre of the Mall. Birr Town Council meets here in a building known as John's Hall built in the style of a Greek Temple. Seffin Stone is also located here which is said to mark the centre of Ireland.
The Seffin Stone
Mentioned by Geraldus Cambrensis, who referred to it as 'Umbilicus Hiberniae', the indentations on the stone are as old as megalithic sites, such as NewgrangeNewgrange
Newgrange is a prehistoric monument located in County Meath, on the eastern side of Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built around 3200 BC , during the Neolithic period...
. It is suggested that the indentations are from the hand of Finn MacCool, hence the origin of the name as Suigh Finn , the Seat of Finn. It is located to the left of the gates to St John's Hall, on John's Mall, close to Emmet Square. The Seffin stone was said to mark the centre of Ireland.
Birr Castle
Birr CastleBirr Castle
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science...
is the oldest inhabited home in the county. In the 16th century the O'Carroll
O'Carroll
O' Carroll is an Irish family name, deriving from the Gaelic Ó Cearbhail.-O' Carroll name and territorial extent:Notable is the history of the Clan Ó Cearbhail whose territory, known as Ely O' Carroll in Éile, consisted of the pasture lands of Ballycrinass, Rosscullenagh and Drumcan, extending to...
s of Éile
Éile
Éile, Éle or Éli, commonly anglicised Ely, was an ancient and medieval kingdom of northern Munster in Ireland.-Overview:They claimed descent from Céin , a possibly mythical or spurious younger son of Ailill Aulom and brother of Éogan Mór, and thus kinship with the Eóganachta...
had one of their castles here and this was granted to a Sir Laurence Parsons in the course of the Stuart plantation, c. 1620
1620 in Ireland
-Births:*Archbishop Peter Talbot, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin ....
. Sir Laurence Parsons built most of the structure of the present castle. The castle was twice besieged in the 17th century and one of the towers still shows the scars of the artillery of Patrick Sarsfield, who tried unsuccessfully to take it. The castle still remains the seat of the Earls of Rosse
Earl of Rosse
Earl of Rosse is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, both times for members of the Parsons family. It is not to be confused with the Scottish title of Earl of Ross. The Parsons family were originally an English family of which five brothers settled in Ireland during the...
and is home to the seventh Earl (Brendan Parsons) at present. As a family home, the Castle is only open to the public on special occasions. The surrounding demesne however is open to tourists every day of the year, and the gardens contain many fine trees and shrubs set in a landscaped park with waterfalls, river and lake.
Birr Telescope - The 'Leviathan of Parsonstown'
A main feature on the grounds of the castle is the great Leviathan of ParsonstownLeviathan of Parsonstown
Leviathan of Parsonstown is the unofficial name of the Rosse six foot telescope. This is a historic reflecting telescope of 72 in aperture, which was the largest telescope in the world from 1845 until the construction of the 100 in Hooker Telescope in 1917...
, an astronomical telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
with a 72-inch metal mirror erected by the third Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, Knight of the Order of St Patrick was an Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope "Leviathan", built 1845, was the world's largest telescope until the early 20th century.-Life:He was born in Yorkshire, England, in the city of...
, which was, until 1917
1917 in Ireland
-Events:*3 February - Count George Noble Plunkett, father of Joseph Mary Plunkett, wins Roscommon North on abstentionist Sinn Féin platform.*7 March - David Lloyd-George announces that Britain is ready to confer self-government to the parts of Ireland that wants it. The north-eastern part will not...
, the largest telescope in the world. The spiral structure of nebulae was discovered through this telescope. It featured in the PBS (USA) documentary, 'Telescope - Hunting the Edge of Space Part 1: The Mystery of the Milky Way' (2011). Eminent British astromony broadcaster Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
wrote 'The Astronomy of Birr Castle (1971)', a history of the telescope and the significance of the work carried out here.
The Workhouse in Birr
The workhouseWorkhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
in Birr is one of only four left intact in Ireland. It is located on the R440 road, going in the direction of Dublin from Emmet Square. It is opposite Elm Grove. Not open to the public, it is an austere building and was the home of last resort for many during the Great Famine
Great Famine
Great Famine may refer to any of several historical famines:* The Great Famine of 1315–1317 in northern Europe* The Great India Famine of 1344-1345...
. As the workhouses filled, local business owners, whose taxes paid for their upkeep, saw value in offering inhabitants passage to the new world's of America, Canada and Australia. Birr Workhouse recently featured in the TV Series Who Do you Think You Are? (U.S. TV series)
Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series)
Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010. The show is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, aired by the BBC. Each week a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Lisa Kudrow is executive...
, when US celebrity Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
traced her ancestors to a workhouse in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
. As the relevant building there no longer existed, Rosie visited Birr to illustrate for viewers what a workhouse was like.
Charles Carroll of Carrollton and The American Declaration of Independence
A descendant of the O'Carrolls, Charles Carroll was the only Catholic to sign the United States Declaration of independence and, also, the only signatory to give his address. Signing such a potentially treasonous document was leaving oneself open to a death sentence. To distinguish himself from his father, Charles Carroll of AnnapolisCharles Carroll of Annapolis
Charles Carroll of Annapolis was a wealthy Maryland planter and lawyer. His father was Charles Carroll the Settler, an immigrant to Maryland who had arrived in the colony in 1689 with a commission as Attorney General, and had accumulated a vast fortune, emerging as Maryland's wealthiest citizen...
, in the event that a sentence fell imminent, Charles signed in full as "Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
". The first US Senator for Maryland, he is mentioned in the State song and a former home forms part of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Demographics
The population of Birr (and its environs) has risen by 21.5% from 1996 to 2006:- 1996 – 4158
- 2002 – 4411
- 2006 – 5053
Sport
Birr also has a very successful hurling team, Birr GAABirr GAA
Birr GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. The club is almost exclusively concerned with hurling and are one of the most successful club hurling teams in the country.-Honours:...
, winning the all-Ireland championship four times. Many of Birr's hurlers—including Brian Whelehan—learned their craft at St. Brendan's Community School
St. Brendan's Community School
St. Brendan's Community School was opened in 1980 in the town of Birr, County Offaly. The first principal of the school was Brother Denis, who remained in that position until 1998, when he was succeeded by Tom Foley...
, which also boasts a strong musical and scientific tradition.
The First All-Ireland Hurling Final and The Lowest Score Ever Recorded
The first ever All-Ireland hurling finalAll-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1887
-Miscellaneous:* Tipperary receive a walkover in their opening game against Dublin. The Dublin champions, Metropolitans, sought a postponement of the game from the GAA's Executive because some of their players were on holidays...
was played in Hoare's field (currently Tesco) Birr, on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1888, between Tipperary and Galway. The match was won by Tipperary on a score line of 1 goal, 1 point and 1 forfeit point to Galway’s no score. A forfeit point was given against a player carrying the sliotar over his own goal line.
The remarkably low score, albeit under different rules to the modern game, is recorded as the lowest score ever in a hurling match in the Guinness Book Of Records.
Another Guinness Book Of Records entry for Birr
The gardens in Birr Castle feature the Tallest Box Hedges In The World.People
- Joseph Stirling CoyneJoseph Stirling CoyneJoseph Stirling Coyne was a humorist and satirist in the tradition of Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope. One of the most prolific British playwrights of the mid-nineteenth century, he wrote more than sixty plays; his twenty-seven farces are surpassed in number only by John Maddison Morton's...
(18031803 in Ireland-Births:*2 March - Mary Frances Clarke, founder of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary .*29 April - Paul Cullen, Cardinal and Catholic Primate of Ireland .*1 May - James Clarence Mangan, poet ....
–18681868 in Ireland-Events:*26 May - Michael Barrett, member of the Fenians, publicly executed outside the walls of Newgate Prison, for his part in the Clerkenwell bombing of 1867.-Births:*2 February - Frederic Trench, 3rd Baron Ashtown, peer ....
), playwright, journalist, and one of the first editors of Punch magazine. - Tom EnrightTom EnrightThomas W. Enright is a former Irish Fine Gael politician.Enright was born in Shinrone, County Offaly in 1940. He was educated at the Cistercian College, Roscrea, University College Dublin and the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland...
, former Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Laois–Offaly - Barry GlendenningBarry GlendenningBarry Glendenning is an Irish sports journalist who currently holds the position of deputy sports editor on the Guardian Unlimited website run by the UK newspaper The Guardian. He is perhaps best known for his work on Guardian Unlimited's football podcast Football Weekly hosted by James Richardson...
, journalist - Olwyn EnrightOlwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. She served as a Teachta Dála for the Laois–Offaly constituency, from 2002 to 2011.-Early life and education:...
, former Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Laois–Offaly - MundyMundyMundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...
, musician - RoesyRoesyRoesy, from Birr, County Offaly, is an Irish singer-songwriter.His debut album "Sketch the Day, Paint the Night" was followed by "The Spirit Store" in 2003 and "Only Love is Real" in 2004...
, musician - Brian WhelahanBrian WhelahanBrian Whelahan is an Irish sportsperson. He currently plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006...
, hurler, 2009 Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
candidate for Offaly County Council. - Johnny PilkingtonJohnny PilkingtonJohnny Pilkington is a former Irish sportsperson. He played senior hurling with the Offaly inter-county team in the 1990s and 2000s.-Early life:Johnny Pilkington was born in Birr, County Offaly in 1970...
, hurler - Aidan QuinnAidan Quinn-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
, actor - William Parsons, 3rd Earl of RosseWilliam Parsons, 3rd Earl of RosseWilliam Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, Knight of the Order of St Patrick was an Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope "Leviathan", built 1845, was the world's largest telescope until the early 20th century.-Life:He was born in Yorkshire, England, in the city of...
, astronomer - Luka BloomLuka BloomLuka Bloom is an Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore.-Early life:...
, singer, wrote most of his 1998 album 'Salty Heaven' while resident in the town and described Birr as having the best trees in Ireland in the album's liner notes.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in IrelandMarket Houses in the Republic of IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...
External links
- http://www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Your_Councils/Birr_Town_Councilp
- Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
- Birr Leisure Centre
- www.BirrNet.com
- The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation (link 1)
- The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation (link 2)
- Birr Castle Demesne
- Birr Town Council
- Dan Heller's (recent) images of Birr Castle and gardens
- Ely O'Carroll country
- Birr Photography Group
- Birr GAA Club