In addition to its most obvious technological feature,
the Great Telescope, Birr Castle Demesne has over the years contained
other engineering features. In 1879 a turbine, driven by the above
water wheel, was installed on the river Camcor, feeding electricity
to the battery house beside the castle, which in turn supplied the
castle and town. The supply was controlled by a switch panel from
the castle. The Fourth Earl later invented a leaf arrester to prevent
leaves from clogging up the flow of water into the turbine house
and was granted patents for this in 1901. |
