Birr Castle, near Ballingarry
For the unexpected pairing of a castle estate and the history of astronomy.
The story behind Birr Castle Demesne
The Parsons family has been associated with Birr since 1620. The nineteenth-century Great Telescope made the demesne a place of scientific discovery as well as a family estate. That connection remains the most distinctive reason to visit.
What you will see
General admission covers the gardens, parkland, telescope and Historic Science Centre. The castle is still a private home. Its seasonal interior tours are a separate experience, and the September notice says the interior is closed. Do not buy a garden ticket expecting castle rooms.
Resized and converted to WebP. Display may be cropped; the full photograph is linked.
Demesne open; interior seasonal
The operator currently lists the demesne open daily from 09:00 to 17:30. Interior tours normally run from mid-May to August, with advance booking advised and a minimum age of 12. Public paid parking is opposite the entrance; there is no visitor car park inside. Check current ticket prices before booking.
Check the official visitor information ↗Sources and checks
- Birr Castle Demesne visitor informationVisitor access and historical context. Checked .
- Fáilte IrelandHistorical context and visitor experience. Checked .
- Kind
- Castles
- County
- County OffalyThe county boundary encloses it, taken from the OpenStreetMap administrative boundaries. It is listed on this site under Ballingarry, which is the nearest settlement and is in County Tipperary.
- From Ballingarry
- 12 km north-east, in a straight line
- Website
- birrcastle.com/visit-us
The map does not yet record a phone number for Birr Castle. Anyone can add it on OpenStreetMap, and this page picks the change up at the next refresh.
Getting to Birr Castle
About these directions
Public transport times come from National Transport Authority. Timetables cover 2026-09-18 to 2027-09-19. These are scheduled services; check with the operator for cancellations and changes before travelling.
Walking and driving times are estimates. A town search starts at its centre; choose your location or a point on the map for a more precise starting point. Eircode search is not available.
How journey planning worksDestination, access and nearby stops
Birr Castle is in Ballingarry, County Tipperary. Routes here end at the point the map records for this place. No entrance has been verified, so the last few metres are for you to judge.
The nearest scheduled stop is Birr (152101), 290 m away in a straight line. Use the planner to check walking connections for your journey.
- Birr 290 m
buses 72, 850, 823, 845, 843 and 847 among othersScheduled departures from this stop
- McAuley Drive 880 m
buses 845, 843, 847 and UM02Scheduled departures from this stop
- Tullamore Road 1.0 km
bus 823Scheduled departures from this stop
- Crinkill 2.2 km
buses 850 and 823Scheduled departures from this stop
Getting to Ballingarry covers the journeys into the town itself.
Other castles in Ballingarry
Nearest to Birr Castle first, and the figure beside each one is how far it is from Birr Castle, in a straight line. Same point, same measure.
- 11 km
- 12 km
- 14 km
- 14 km
- 15 km
- 15 km
- 16 km
- 19 km
- 19 km
Questions people ask
Where is Birr Castle?
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How far is Birr Castle from the centre of Ballingarry?
Are there other castles near Birr Castle?
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Where this comes from
- From the map
- The name, the kind of place, the address where the record carries one, and any website, phone or opening hours shown as recorded on the map are tags on OpenStreetMap way/419215618, and can be corrected there.
- Worked out here
- Every distance, the nearest road where the record has no address, which car park and which stop are nearest, and the order of the lists are this site’s own calculations from those records. Distances are straight lines between two points, not walks along the footpaths, and the map will route the real walk on request. A mistake in any of this is a mistake here rather than on the map.
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