Birr
Birr (from the Irish: Biorra) is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town with a carefully preserved Georgian heritage. Birr itself has graceful wide streets and elegant buildings. Many of the houses in John's Place and Oxmantown Mall have exquisite fanlight windows of the Georgian period.
Get in
By car
Birr lies on the N52 and N62 national secondary roads. The routes are combined as they pass through Birr. The R439, R440 and R489 regional roads also terminate in the town.
By bus
Bus Eireann provide public transport services to the town. The Athlone to Limerick city service regularly passes through the town daily. Kearns privately owned bus service provides a number of direct bus services to Dublin from Birr.
Get around
Walk or cycle.
See
- 1 Birr Castle, ☏ +353 57 912-0336, bookings@birrcastle.com. March - November. Home of the seventh Earl of Rosse and the Great Telescope, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible. €9.
Do
- 1 Birr Golf Club, The Glenns (Follow the R439 towards Banagher), ☏ +353 57 912-0082, birrgolfclub@eircom.net. Carved out of natural woodland and eskers, it provides a strong challenge for even the most accomplished golfers.
- 2 Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Oxmantown M all, ☏ +353 57 912-2911, info@birrtheatre.com. Theatre, music - classical, contemporary, folk, jazz etc, film, dance, comedy
- Birr Vintage Week, ☏ +353 87 922 6961. 1st Week of August. Week long arts festival event celebrating Birr's heritage and culture.
Buy
Eat
- Tony's Takeaway. Chips.
- 1 The Thatch, Military Road Crinkill (In Crinkill, 2km south of Birr), ☏ +353 57 912-0682, thethatchcrinkill@eircom.net. Traditional dishes, plenty of seafood and some vegetarian options.
- 2 Spinners, Castle St, ☏ +353 57 912-3779, spinnersbirr@gmail.com. Family run boutique restaurant and guest-house
- 3 [dead link] Brambles Café & Delicatessen, Mill St, ☏ +353 87 745-3359, bramblesbirr@gmail.com. Mon-Sat 8:30-18:00 Sun 11:00-14:30. Bread, Scones, Chocolate Biscuit Cake, Carrot Cake, Caramel Slices, Coffee Sponge, Almond Slices, Homemade seasonal soups, quiches, deep-filled pies and sausage rolls
- 4 Parkers Restaurant, Riverstown (On the N52 towards Borrisokane), ☏ +353 57 912 1528. Home made Irish cuisine overlooking the Little Brosna River
- 5 Emma's Café, Main St, ☏ +353 57 9125678. Coffee shop on Birr's main street
Drink
- 1 The Chestnut, Green St. Victorian style bar with cosy turf fires and dark wood interiors
- 2 Kelly's, Green St, ☏ +353 57 912 0175. Old style pub
Sleep
- 1 Doolys Hotel, Emmet Square, ☏ +353 57 912-0032, info@doolyshotel.ie. 3 star hotel in the centre of Birr
- 2 County Arms Hotel, ☏ +353 57 912-0791, info@countyarmshotel.com. 4 star hotel on the edge of town