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Garden Name: Birr Castle Demesne
Last Modified: 25/01/2011
Garden ID: 0196

pic: 0196_birrCastle.jpg

Owner: The Earl & Countess of Rosse
Address:
Birr
Co. Offaly

Postcode: 
County: Republic of Ireland

tel: 00353 5791 20336
fax: 
website: www.birrcastle.com
email: mail {at} birrcastle.com

Features: 
The Demesne contains over 50 of the champion trees of the British Isles, as well as geographic collections from Mexico, Pakistan, and Yunnan. Evergreen conifers, golden willows, carpets of daffodils, world-record box hedges, magnolias , a cherry avenue and the original plant of Paeonia 'Anne Rosse'.
What's in Bloom?
Magnolia Delavayi is a native of Yunnan in China. This is in bloom during the March/April period.
Also, the Camellias, Crocus & Magnolia's are in bloom in the months of March & April. Roses are in bloom from May onwards.such as, the Rosa 'Duchesse de Montebello', When in bloom its dark green foliage strikes a dramatic contrast with its small fragrant double soft blush-coloured flowers. They can be found in the Formal Gardens.

English Heritage Grade:


Opening Times:
All year; 7 days a week; 12th Mar - 31st Oct; 9am - 6pm; Winter months: 1st Nov - 11th Mar; 12 noon- 4pm

Best Times of Year to Visit: 
May
Autumn

To see: 
Magnolias in bloom
Stunning autumn colour

National Collection: 


National Garden Scheme days: no
Comments: 

Parties / Coaches: Yes 
Comments: 

Viewing by Appointment: Yes
Comments: Guided tours by arrangement 

House Open for Viewing: no
Comments: 

Admission Prices:
Adult €9; Senior/Student €7.50; Child €5; Family €25; Group rates €6.50

Parking: Yes
Lavatories: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Shop: Yes
Plants for Sale: No
Lunches: Yes
Teas: Yes
Refreshments: Yes
Picnics: Yes
Dogs allowed: Yes
Only on Lead: Yes
Events: Yes

Other Facilities:
Ireland's Historic Science Centre is an interactive museum revealing the family's achievements in early photography, engineering, astronomy, and botany. The 'Leviathan' Great Telescope - the largest in the world for over 70 years is fully restored and sits at the centre of the demesne.


Designer: 
Description of Garden:
With over 120 acres (50 ha) of gardens and grounds of 17th century parkland, and with the Victorian gothic castle catching the eye in vistas throughout the park, this spectacular garden has a huge collection of over 4,000 trees and shrubs to be admired. A marvellous walled garden has a tunnel running through the centre. Many of the plants here were grown from the original seeds collected on expeditions to China before WWII, others were collected by the owners' parents from the wild. The collections of magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas are particularly fine.

But the most spectacular feature is the huge telescope, 'Leviathan', once the largest in the world, now completely restored and operating throughout the day, testifying to the range of interests and capablilities of the owner's ancestors. This is augmented by the new Galleries of Discovery. There are also the tallest box hedges in the British Isles at over 12 metres high. An extraordinary suspension bridge crosses one of the rivers and there has been much recent restoration of key elements of the garden by the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration programme.


History: 
The park was laid out in the 17th century when the river was diverted to make the lake, it has been slowly added to over the centuries with most of the rarer specimens collected, propagated and planted under the supervision of the 6th and 7th Earls of Rosse.

Local Inns: 


Accomodation: 
Kinnity Castle, 
Dooleys Hotel,
County Arms Hotel

Restaurants: 
The Thatch
Spinners

Village/Town/Sightseeing: 
Birr Georgian Heritage Town
Clonmacnoise