12 Mar to 31 Oct
0900hrs - 1800hrs
1 Nov to 11 Mar
1000hrs - 1600hrs
The Courtyard Café
12 March ~ 31 October
The Discovery Gift Shop
Open every day of year
Welcome to Birr Castle Demesne, Co Offaly
We welcome you to our Demesne of Discovery, which offers something for everyone to enjoy and is especially interesting and educational for families. Starting with Ireland’s Historic Science Centre in the old stable block, with its café and shop you can then explore 50 hectares of park land, visit the magnificent Formal Gardens and terraces and discover Birr’s world famous engineering and astronomical wonder - the Great Telescope. We look forward to welcoming you on a voyage of Discovery.
The Demesne and all the wonders that it contains is administered by the Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation, a charitable body – click here to find out more.
The Gardens
The Gardens at Birr are arguably the greatest gardens in the Republic of Ireland and well known internationally. They are set in a landscape of 50 hectares and contain some of the largest and rarest tree species found in Ireland and the world...
Science Centre
Travel back to the time of the earlier Earls and Countesses of Rosse, when Birr Castle was a hub of scientific discovery and innovation. Discover astronomical instruments, cameras, photographs and photographic equipment used...
The Great Telescope
In the early 1840’s, the Third Earl of Rosse designed and built the largest telescope in the world. With this telescope, he discovered the spiral nature of some of the galaxies...
News & Events
New for 2012
Civil Ceremonies & Partnerships,
The Pavilion, Birr Castle Demesne
Read More...
Eating & Shopping
The Discovery Gift Shop at Birr Castle Demesne offers gifts for every taste. Open 7 days a week from 09.00 - 18.00hrs
The Courtyard Cafe has now closed for the 2011 season. We open again in the Spring.
Read More...
Educational Tours
Discover Primary Science ~ Journey through Astronomy with our fun, interactive tour...
Junior Science Trail covers areas such as light, energy conversion, living things, ecology...
Quick Links to help you:
Content © Birr Castle Demesne Ireland 2010
The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation
Ireland's Historic Science Centre,
Birr, Co Offaly, Ireland
Registered Charity Number: 107550
Head Office/Administration:
Phone: +353 5791 20336 • Fax: +353 5791 21583
Email: bookings@birrcastle.com
Reception (7 day reply 9.00 - 18.00)
Phone: +353 5791 20340 • Fax: +353 5791 21583