The Leviathan of Parsonstown — Attraction in The Municipal District of Birr

The Birr Castle alone would be enough to be worth a visit. But including this telescope, a jewel of science history, makes the visit a real experience: the largest telescope in the world in the 19th century. The one used to see, for the first time, the spiral nature of galaxies (by then not known to be made of other stars). Used by Dreyer to start his NGC Catalogue. Built despite the Great Irish Famine. A telescope like no one else until 1917. Does anyone really need more reasons? I visited it in 2008, and eight years later I am still impressed and happy when I...

That's place is beautiful and You will have there brilliant walk around endless and beautiful gardens. Leviathan of Parsanstown is must to see on Your bucket list if You are interested about history, astronomy or just past times and all past inventions. There is small museum in the building where reception is where You will feel like in Harry Potter or Nicolas Copernicus workshop, plus small garden with BEAUTIFUL AND ENORMOUS tree...

One of the most impressive things in Birr castle and gardens is actually the great Leviathan of Parsonstown, which is a huge Telescope with a 72-inch metal mirror and which was until 1917 the largest telescope in the world. Through this telescope, the spiral structure of nebulae was discovered. It is truly worth a look, especially if you’re interested in the history of space...