We headed to Birr about 15 minutes north, and visited Birr Castle Demesne. This is a castle, still lived in by the Parson family who have lived there for over 400 years. The current incumbent is the Seventh Earl of Rosse (Brendan Parsons), Lady Rosse (Alison and their family.
The castle is situated in around 120 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. We wandered along paths, following the start of the Solar Trail, where information boards spaced to the scale of the solar system give interesting facts on the sun and planets; each step was the equivalent of 1.6million km in space. Once we got to Mars we turned onto the trail taking us towards the castle, finding our way to the moat, and walking along the front of the castle. Its a very imposing, beautiful building, and I can only imagine how amazing it must be inside! We turned onto grassy paths mown through grasses and flowers, arriving at the Great Telescope. Wow! It was built in the 1840s by the Third Earl of Rosse, and he used it to
discover the spiral nature of some of the galaxies. Other family members are also renowned for scientific work. Mary, the wife of the Seventh Earl, was an avid photographer, pioneering the printing of photographs from negatives; their son, Charles, invented the steam turbine. Pretty amazing for one family!
We found a beautiful oak tree, over 500 years old, then visited the formal garden area, then found a forest area. I stopped to ID a plant (colletia paradox) while Susan looked a Monkey Puzzle tree on the other side of the path. By the time I turned round, Susan had disappeared into the trees. I wandered along one of the paths for a few minutes, then heard a waterfall. That would be where Id find her! I retraced my steps, found the waterfall, and sure enough, Susan was there.
We continued our walk through the trees, discovering a forest bathing area. We sat for a few minutes, then realised we only had about 30 minutes left on our parking. It was time to go. We headed back towards the main track, past the Shell Well. This was a structure inspired by the architect Samuel Chearnley, and built in
We arrived back at the entrance / exit area, and had about 15 minutes to check out the historical science centre, focusing on the achievements of the Parsons around early astronomy, photography and engineering. Overall, a great couple of hours spent, and I would a visit if youre ever in the area.
We got back into Sherri and drove north to our next stop – Athlone on the banks of the River Shannon. Susan had chosen a visit here because there is another castle, but also Seans Bar, purportedly the oldest bar in Ireland.
At the castle entrance we were behind a family of 5 – 2 adults and 3 children aged 4, 6 and about 10. They were greeted by a woman who spent the next several minutes explaining what they would see if they chose to pay the entrance fee, and how scared the youngsters might be at some of the noisy, dark parts of the exhibition. The girl reassured her that she would look after her brothers. The conversation went on for rather longer than it needed to, and
we were both itching to get moving. When she finally let them through the barrier, she asked if we were with them. We replied simultaneously, ‘No, but we heard it all! Thankfully she allowed us through without further delay.
The visitor centre is certainly interesting, with exhibitions about the history of the crucial role the castle has played in the historical events that have shaped not just Athlone, but the whole of Ireland. On looking over the upper battlements, we agreed that from what we could see, Athlone isnt a particularly pretty city. We did spot some people arriving for a wedding at the church over the road, though.
