Birr Castle Demesne
Ireland's largest award winning gardens span over 120 acres of formal and natural landscapes. The impressive worldwide plant collection boasts over 40 champion trees, a Victorian fernery, wildflower meadows, lake, rivers and waterfall. The Millennium Gardens include the world's tallest box hedges and stunning arched pathways of hornbeam cloisters. The Demesne is also home to Ireland's Historic Science Centre, where visitors may travel back to the time when Birr Castle was a hub of scientific discovery and innovation. The interactive museum galleries reveal pioneering Irish achievements in astronomy, photography, engineering and botany, with a special emphasis on the brilliant design and assembly of the world famous Great Telescope, a ‘Leviathan' creation from the 1840's, now fully restored in the centre of the park.
A new picnic & play area suitable for children 10 years & younger has opened at Birr Castle Demesne. Comprising of a pirate ship and three fort towers with two slides, a climbing rock wall, a firemans pole, telescopes and periscopes, new picnic benches and umbrellas this is sure to be a hugehit with the younger visitors. Children must be accompanied by adults at all times in the Play Area. Adults can enjoy lunch or a coffee and tasty treat in the Courtyard Cafe or bring it to the Picninc Area while the children are having fun.
Situated: Birr Town. 130km SW of Dublin, 38km S of Athlone on
N52 from Tullamore, N62 from Athlone or Roscrea
Open: Daily Mar-Oct. 09.00 - 18.00. Nov-Mar 10.00- 16.00
Admission: Adults €9.00; Students and Senior Citizens €7.50; Child
€5.00 (5 and under free); Family Ticket (2 Adults, 2 Children)
€25.00; Group Rate (15 or more people) €6.50; Guided Tour
€30.00 (max. 40 people per tour - booked in advance)
Facilities: Courtyard Café, The Discovery Gift Shop, Annual
Programme of Events, Disabled Toilet, Wheelchair Access
Slideshow
Facilities
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Car & Coach Parking
- Courtyard Cafe
- Restaurant
- Gift Shop
- Conference Facilities
- Audio Visual Presentation
In This Area
- Accommodation
- Restaurants of all Types
- Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
- Birr Equestrian Centre
- Health & Leisure Centre
- Birr Outdoor Activity Centre
- Pubs and Night Clubs
- Birr Vintage Week
- Falconry Centre
- Birr Golf Club
- Children's Play Area
- Library
- Slieve Bloom Walks
- Lough Boora Parklands
- Clonmacnoise
- Belmont Mill
- Bramber Arts Studio
