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Return to Co. Offaly list |
Go to Prehistoric Alignments & Dials |
Go to Ancient Monastic Dials |
Go to Medieval Dials |
Go to Modern (1600+) Dials |
Go to Sundial Info.and Books |
 Offaly Sundial |
 Photo of the slate Sundial at Birr Castle |
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There are two sundials at Birr Castle, the private family home of the Parsons family, Lord and Lady Rosse. A modern Armillary Sphere,1000mm in diameter in the private garden to which there is no public access. British Sundial Society SR No 3938 The gardens and part of the castle are open to the public and there is a horizontal slate dial on display in the museum. "Cons By W.M. For Lat 53° 30' XV" and "Boherna" and "Birr Castle Febr 20th 1839 A.D." are inscribed and there is a motto "THE SUN THE MOON AND ALL THE HEAVENLY STARS" The Cardinal points are marked at the four corners of the plate The Historic Science Centre features the many pioneering achievements of the Parsons family and of other great Irish scientists in the fields of astronomy, photography, engineering and horticulture. In the grounds, the 72" Great Telescope built by the third Earl of Rosse in the 1840's was the largest in the world for 70 years. Birr Castle Demesne's Formal Garden and River Garden have recently been restored and there are parklands with thousands of rare trees and plants collected from all over the world as well as rivers, lake and waterfalls. Click here to visit Birr Castle Demesne web site Birr is located midway between Dublin and Galway, off the N6 on the N52 and midway between Limerick and Dublin off the N7 on the N52 Lat 53° 06' North Long 7° 55' West Irish Grid N 206065 205120 |