Birr, County Offaly

{{Short description|Town in County Offaly, Ireland}} {{Redirect|Parsonstown}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox settlement | settlement_type = Town | name = Birr | native_name = {{nativename|ga|Biorra}} | native_name_lang = ga | image_skyline = Birr Emmet Square 2010 09 04.jpg | image_caption = Emmet Square, Birr | image_shield = Birr Coat of Arms.png | shield_size = 155px | pushpin_map = Ireland | pushpin_label_position = right | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland | coordinates = {{coord|53.0914|-7.9133|dim:100000_region:IE|display=inline,title}} | blank_name_sec1 = Irish Grid Reference | blank_info_sec1 = {{iem4ibx|N058045}} | unit_pref = Metric | elevation_m = 75 | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Ireland | subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Leinster]] | subdivision_type2 = [[Counties of Ireland|County]] | subdivision_name2 = [[County Offaly]] | subdivision_type3 = [[Dáil constituency]] | subdivision_name3 = [[Offaly (Dáil constituency)|Offaly]] | population_urban = 4370 | population_rural = 1371 | population_total = 5741 | population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Birr |url=http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=ADCBE8E7-98FF-4B49-9739-CA9E735F32A3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227171357/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=ADCBE8E7-98FF-4B49-9739-CA9E735F32A3 |archive-date=27 February 2022 |access-date=12 January 2018 |website=[[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office]]}}</ref> | population_as_of = [[2016 census of Ireland|2016]] | area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland|Telephone area code]] | area_code = 057 | postal_code_type = [[Eircode]] | postal_code = R42 | timezone = [[Western European Time|WET]] | utc_offset = ±0 | timezone_DST = [[Irish Standard Time|IST]] | utc_offset_DST = +1 }} {{Historical populations|state=collapsed |1821|5406 |1831|6594 |1841|6336 |1851|5480 |1861|5401 |1871|4939 |1881|4955 |1891|4313 |1901|4438 |1911|4047 |1926|3402 |1936|3297 |1946|3224 |1951|3285 |1956|3922 |1961|3872 |1966|3924 |1971|3981 |1981|4262 |1986|4194 |1991|4056 |1996|4193 |2002|4436 |2006|5081 |2011|5818 |2016|5741 |footnote=<ref>[http://www.cso.ie/census Census for post 1821 figures.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920090814/http://cso.ie/census |date=20 September 2010}}. Cso.ie.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports Website |url=http://www.histpop.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507023856/http://www.histpop.org/ |archive-date=7 May 2016 |website=www.histpop.org}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census NISRA – Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (c) 2013] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217095720/http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census |date=17 February 2012}}. Nisranew.nisra.gov.uk (27 September 2010).</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=J. J. |author-link=J. J. Lee (historian) |title=Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1981 |editor-last=Goldstrom |editor-first=J. M. |location=Oxford, England |chapter=On the accuracy of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Pre-famine]] Irish censuses |editor2-last=Clarkson |editor2-first=L. A.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mokyr |first1=Joel |author-link=Joel Mokyr |last2=Ó Gráda |first2=Cormac |author2-link=Cormac Ó Gráda |date=November 1984 |title=New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850 |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract |url-status=dead |journal=The Economic History Review |series=Volume |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=473–488 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x |hdl=10197/1406 |jstor=2596554 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121204160709/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract |archive-date=4 December 2012 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> }} '''Birr''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜr}}; {{langx|ga|Biorra}}, meaning "plain of water") is a town in [[County Offaly]], Ireland. Between 1620 and 1899, it was called '''Parsonstown''', after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary [[Earl of Rosse|Earls of Rosse]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Registration Districts of Ireland |url=http://genealogyresearch.org.uk/IRL_RegistrationDistricts1871.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418063842/http://genealogyresearch.org.uk/IRL_RegistrationDistricts1871.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2013 |access-date=9 February 2013 |publisher=genealogyresearch.org.uk |page=31}}</ref> The town is in a [[Civil parishes in Ireland|civil parish]] of the same name.<ref name="logainm">{{cite web |title=Biorra/Birr |url=https://www.logainm.ie/en/2008 |access-date=2 July 2024 |work=[[Placenames Database of Ireland]]}}</ref>

Birr is a designated Irish ''Heritage Town'' with a carefully preserved [[Georgian architecture|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.

The town is known for [[Birr Castle]] and Gardens: the home of the Parsons family and the site of the [[Leviathan of Parsonstown]], which was the largest [[telescope]] in the world for over 70 years.

==Access and transport== The town is situated near the meeting of the [[River Camcor|Camcor]] and [[Little Brosna River|Little Brosna]] rivers, the latter flowing on into the [[River Shannon]] near [[Victoria Lock (River Shannon)|Victoria Lock]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Little Brosna Water Management Unit Action Plan |url=http://www.shannonrbd.com/Final%20RBMP/Little%20Brosna%20WMU.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425161255/http://www.shannonrbd.com/Final%20RBMP/Little%20Brosna%20WMU.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2012 |access-date=18 February 2014 |website=Shannon IRBD Project}}</ref>

The Ormond Flying Club has been in operation at [[Birr Aerodrome|Birr Airfield]] for over 30 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ormand Flying Club |url=http://www.ormandflyingclub.com/html/flying_in_.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070730192744/http://www.ormandflyingclub.com/html/flying_in_.html |archive-date=30 July 2007 |access-date=24 January 2008}}</ref>

Birr lies on the [[N52 road (Ireland)|N52]] and [[N62 road (Ireland)|N62]] [[national secondary road]]s. The routes are combined as they pass through Birr. The [[R439 road (Ireland)|R439]], [[R440 road|R440]] and [[R489 road|R489]] [[Regional road (Ireland)|regional road]]s also terminate in the town.

[[Bus Éireann]] provide public transport services to the town. The [[Athlone]] to [[Limerick]] service regularly passes through the town daily. Kearns privately owned bus service provides a number of direct bus services to [[Dublin]] from Birr, as well as a weekend service connecting the town with the city of Galway via Portumna, Killimor, and Loughrea.

Birr railway station, the terminus of a branch from the [[Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line|Limerick–Ballybrophy line]] at [[Roscrea]], opened on 8 March 1858 and closed on 1 January 1963.<ref>{{cite web |title=Birr station |url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926042407/http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf |archive-date=26 September 2007 |access-date=12 September 2007 |work=Railscot – Irish Railways}}</ref>

==History== [[File:Main Street Birr Co. Offaly - geograph.org.uk - 1365957.jpg|thumb|225px|Main Street]]

===Ancient history=== A monastery was founded here by [[Brendan of Birr|St Brendan of Birr]]. It produced the MacRegol Gospels,<ref>[http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Macregol.htm The Gospel Book of Macregol of Birr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317035009/http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Macregol.htm |date=17 March 2013 }}. Birrhistsoc.com (3 September 2006).</ref> named after the abbot at the turn of the 8th/9th century and now to be seen in the [[Bodleian Library]] in [[Oxford]]. The [[Synod of Birr]], held in [[697 in Ireland|697]], was the occasion on which the [[Cáin Adomnáin]], or law of innocents, was pronounced.

In [[Gaelic Ireland]], Birr was located in the O'Carroll territory of [[Éile]]. This [[petty kingdom]] ({{langx|ga|Tuatha}}) formed an area that now forms the south of [[County Offaly]] and the northeast of [[County Tipperary]]. The Tuatha was subject to the [[Rí#Rí ruirech|overkingdom]] ({{langx|ga|Rí ruirech}}) of [[Kingdom of Munster|Munster]] and formed a border with the [[Kingdom of Meath]] to the east. The boundary between [[Ely O'Carroll]] and the ancient Meath is co-terminous with the present boundary between the [[Diocese of Killaloe]] and the [[Diocese of Meath]]. The [[O'Carroll|O'Carroll family]] had a castle located at the present site of [[Birr Castle]]. Following the [[Plantations of Ireland]], Birr was located in the Barony of Ballybritt following the formation of King's County (now County Offaly) in 1556.

The town itself is an old market and former [[garrison]] town dating to the 1620s.

===Crotty Schism=== The town was also the location of the [[Crotty Schism]], one of the few [[schism]]s to affect the Catholic Church in Ireland in the 19th century. The church on Castle Street was the result of the Crotty Schism and was allowed to fall into a derelict condition following disuse resulting from the end of the schism. The church is known locally as Crotty's Church. In the early 2020s, it was restored externally and converted into a private residence contrary to the wishes of the Town's residents. This is all the more puzzling when the Birr Georgian Society were refused the opportunity to restore the building into a Museum following minor interior damage during preliminary works some years ago.{{citation needed|date = February 2024}}

===Birr Barracks=== [[Birr Barracks]] became the depot of the [[Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)]] from 1881. The barracks at Birr was burned down in 1922 during the [[Irish Civil War]] and the outer perimeter wall is all that remains.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crinkle |url=http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Hist.htm#Crinkle |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416203907/http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Hist.htm#Crinkle |archive-date=16 April 2019 |accessdate=18 November 2014 |publisher=Birr History Society}}</ref> Outside the old Barracks Wall, there is a monument erected in memory of the soldiers of the Leinster Regiment who were killed during their service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=War Memorial in Crinkill, Barrack Street, Crinkill, Offaly |url=http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie/Place-Detail?siteId=679 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530012739/http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie/Place-Detail?siteId=679 |archive-date=30 May 2024 |access-date=26 December 2024 |website=www.irishwarmemorials.ie |language=en-GB}}</ref> A wreath-laying ceremony takes place annually. Much of the Barracks' historical footprint is now occupied by the Grant Engineering factory.

===Annalistic references=== See [[Annals of Inisfallen]]. * ''AI664.1 Kl. Death of Cúcen Máthair, and of Diarmait, son of Aed Slaine. [AU 665]. Fighting in Birra.'' * ''AI822.1 Kl. Mac Riaguil, abbot of Birra, rested.''

==Features==

=== Georgian Birr === [[File:Georgian Houses - geograph.org.uk - 167192.jpg|thumb|right|Georgian Birr – Oxmantown Mall]] Birr is a designated Irish Heritage Town due to the preservation and wealth of [[Georgian architecture]] in the town.<ref>[http://www.heritagetowns.com/birr.shtml Birr, Offaly, Ireland – Heritage Town] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008022829/http://www.heritagetowns.com/birr.shtml |date=8 October 2011}}. Heritagetowns.com.</ref> The earliest Georgian-style buildings dating from the 1740s are located in Emmet Square and Emmet Street (then known as Cumberland Square and Cumberland Street).<ref name="birrhistsoc">{{cite web |title=Georgian Birr |url=http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Hist.htm#georgian |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221031448/http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Hist.htm#georgian |archive-date=21 February 2010 |publisher=Birr History Society}}</ref>

The column in the centre of the square dates from 1747 and was built to carry the statue of the [[William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland|Duke of Cumberland]], known as the Bloody Duke and the victor of the [[Battle of Culloden]]. The statue was removed in 1915 as it was in danger of collapse.

The Oxmantown Mall was laid out in the early 19th century and was designed as a promenade leading from [[Birr Castle]] gates to the [[Church of Ireland]]. The mall is tree lined on one side with the Georgian houses on the other.<ref name="birrhistsoc" />

John's Mall was also built during this time also with fine Georgian buildings.<ref name="birrhistsoc" /> The area is also known as the chains due to the sturdy chain railings enclosing the central plots in the centre of the Mall. Birr Town Council met here in a building known as [[John's Hall]] built in the style of a Greek Temple.<ref name="birrhistsoc" /> [[File:The Square, Parsonstown (Birr, Co Offaly) (23380992132).jpg|thumb|left|Cumberland Square (now Emmet Square) c.1880-1900. The statue was removed from the pillar in 1915]]

The Seffin Stone is said to mark the centre of Ireland. Mentioned by [[Geraldus Cambrensis]], who referred to it as ''Umbilicus Hiberniae'', the indentations on the stone are as old as megalithic sites, such as [[Newgrange]]. Myths claim that the indentations are from the hand of [[Finn MacCool|Fionn MacCuthaill]], hence the origin of the name as ''Suigh Finn'' (pronounced "See-Finn"), the Seat of Fionn. It is located to the left of the gates to John's Hall, on John's Mall, close to Emmet Square.<ref name="birrhistsoc"/> The Stone is accompanied by a decommissioned cannon, The Crimean Gun, which was presented to the Parsons family and the people of Birr following its capture during the [[Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855)|Siege of Sevastopol]] in the [[Crimean War]]. The Cannon was originally displayed inside the Castle Demesne before being placed outside John's Hall.

In Emmet Square stands ''Dooly's Hotel'': one of the oldest [[coaching inn]]s in Ireland, dating from 1747. The name of [[Galway]] Blazers was given to the [[Galway]] Hunt after a celebration held in the hotel in 1809 resulted in the premises being set on fire. Film director [[John Huston]] was latterly a member of the Galway Blazers. Australian soprano Dame [[Nellie Melba]] famously sang to crowds gathered below in the Square, from her hotel room above in Dooly's Hotel. The nightclub attached to the hotel is named "Melba's" to mark the occasion.

===Ecclesiastical architecture=== On the Wilmer road, near the County Arms Hotel, is a Gothic-style [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] church built. St. Brendan's Church of Ireland was also built in Gothic style in 1815 and is located in the Oxmantown Mall. A smaller Methodist Church known as Wesley Chapel was built in 1820 on Emmett Street to accommodate a growing Methodist congregation following the preaching of [[John Wesley]] in the late 18th century in Birr.

The [[Sisters of Mercy]] [[convent]] on Wilmer Road beside the Catholic church is also a gothic-styled building. Most of the convent was converted by [[Offaly County Council]] to civic offices and a public library.

===Birr Castle=== [[Image:Birr Castle, Offaly.jpg|right|thumb|The castle.]] In the 16th century, the [[O'Carroll]]s of [[Éile]] had one of their castles here and this was granted to the English-born politician and judge Sir [[Lawrence Parsons (judge)|Lawrence Parsons]] in the course of the Stuart plantation, c. 1620. Sir Laurence Parsons built most of the structure of the [[Birr Castle|present castle]] on the site of the original castle's Gatehouse. The castle was twice besieged in the 17th century and one of the towers still shows the scars of the artillery of [[Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan]], who tried unsuccessfully to take it. The castle remains the [[ancestral seat|seat]] of the [[Earl of Rosse|Earls of Rosse]] and is home to the current [[Peerage|peer]], [[Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse]], with family members resident in the demesne. As a family home, most of the castle is only open to the public on special occasions, though five reception rooms can be visited, by guided tour only, through the demesne's visitor centre. The castle's [[demesne]], however, is open to tourists every day of the year, and the gardens comprise a landscaped park with waterfalls, rivers and a lake, as well as the large reflecting telescope, the [[Leviathan of Parsonstown]], and the modern radio-telescope, I-[[Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR)|LOFAR]]. Below the South face of the Castle proper, St. Brendan's Well can be found. It is a set of steps descending below ground level covered by a small gated grotto. The bottom step is submerged in well water.

====Birr Telescope – The 'Leviathan of Parsonstown'==== [[Image:Great Telescope, Birr, Offaly 1.jpg|right|thumb|Telescope and support structure]] The main feature on the grounds of the castle is the great [[Leviathan of Parsonstown]], an [[astronomical]] [[telescope]] with a 72-inch metal mirror erected by [[William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse|The 3rd Earl of Rosse]], which was, until 1917, the largest telescope in the world.<ref>{{cite web |last=Greenslade |first=Thomas B. Jr. |title=The Earl of Rosse's Leviathan Telescope |url=http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x1446.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195547/http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x1446.xml |archive-date=29 October 2013 |publisher=Kenyon College}}</ref> The spiral structure of nebulae was discovered through this telescope. It featured in the [[PBS]] (USA) documentary, 'Telescope – Hunting the Edge of Space Part 1: The Mystery of the Milky Way' (2011). Astronomy broadcaster [[Sir Patrick Moore]] wrote ''The Astronomy of Birr Castle (1971)'', a history of the telescope and the significance of the work carried out here.

===Workhouse=== The workhouse, located in Syngefield, on Newbridge Street, opened in 1842<ref>[http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Workhouse.htm Birr Workhouse] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223173000/http://www.birrhistsoc.com/Workhouse.htm |date=23 December 2012}}. Birrhistsoc.com (7 September 2013).</ref> before the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]]. The building is now mainly derelict. It is not yet open to the public.

===Firsts=== On 31 August 1869, the first road fatality recorded in history occurred in Birr, when local-born scientist [[Mary Ward (scientist)|Mary Ward]], a cousin of [[William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse|The 3rd Earl of Rosse]], fell from a [[Steam car|steam-powered car]] on a bend. The vehicle traversed her, causing fatal injuries.

A descendant of the O'Carrolls, [[Charles Carroll of Carrollton|Charles Carroll]] was the first and only Catholic to sign the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] and, also, the only signatory to give his address. To distinguish himself from his father, [[Charles Carroll of Annapolis]], he signed in full as "Charles Carroll of Carrollton".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Carroll House in Annapolis |url=http://www.charlescarrollhouse.com/ |access-date=18 December 2023}}</ref>

==Local government== [[File:John's Hall, John's Mall, Birr - geograph.org.uk - 167204.jpg|thumb|[[John's Hall]], John's Mall, the former seat of Birr Town Council]] [[File:The Bridewell, Birr - geograph.org.uk - 167198.jpg|thumb|Birr Court House]] In local government, Birr is a municipal district within [[Offaly County Council]]. The district itself covers the entire west and south of Offaly. The district returns 6 elected representatives to Offaly County Hall in Tullamore. The area was administered by Birr Urban District Council until 2002, and subsequently by Birr Town Council until 2014, when the council was dissolved and administration of the town was amalgamated with [[Offaly County Council]] in accordance with the [[Local Government Reform Act 2014]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Reform Act 2014 |url=https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/act/1/enacted/en/print |access-date=24 November 2023 |publisher=Irish Statute Book}}</ref>

===Birr Court House=== Birr Court House, built c1830, is a detached five-bay two-storey castellated courthouse located on Townsend St, Birr. Over the years the building has served as a prison, court and county council offices. The courthouse has since closed down and now lies empty.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 July 2017 |title=The Birr Courthouse: From Cooke to Courts Service 1803-2013, Part 1 |url=https://offalyhistoryblog.com/2017/07/22/the-birr-courthouse-from-cooke-to-courts-service-1803-2013-part-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224053400/https://offalyhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/22/the-birr-courthouse-from-cooke-to-courts-service-1803-2013-part-1/amp/ |archive-date=24 February 2018 |access-date=24 February 2018 |work=offalyhistoryblog |language=en-US}}</ref> The Courthouse was used to host Creative Arts events during Vintage Week 2023 and is hoped to be developed as part of the Creative Court project into a more permanent arts venue.

==Services and amenities== The town is served by three primary schools (St Brendan's Boys school, Mercy Primary School and the Model Primary School) and one secondary school ([[St. Brendan's Community School]]).

==Sport==

===Hurling===

Birr's hurling team, [[Birr GAA]], has won the All-Ireland championship four times. Several of Birr's hurlers, including [[Brian Whelahan]], attended [[St. Brendan's Community School]].{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

The [[All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1887|first ever All-Ireland hurling final]] was played in Hoare's field (currently the location of a [[Tesco Ireland|Tesco]] store) in Birr on [[Easter Sunday]], 1 April 1888, between Tipperary and Galway. The match was won by Tipperary on a score line of 1 goal, 1 point and 1 forfeit point to Galway's no score. A forfeit point was given against a player carrying the sliotar over his own goal line. The remarkably low score, albeit under different rules to the modern game, is recorded as the lowest score ever in a hurling match in the [[Guinness Book of Records]].

===Rugby===

Founded in 1887, [[Birr RFC]] has lapsed on several occasions, particularly during the two world wars and again in the mid-1950s. It was reformed in 1963 and has been in continuous existence since.<ref>{{cite web |title=www.pitchero.com |url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/birrrugbyfootballclub/a/history-9413.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220171630/http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/birrrugbyfootballclub/a/history-9413.html |archive-date=20 February 2015 |access-date=20 February 2014}}</ref>

===Golf=== Birr Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course which was founded in 1893. The course was founded originally at Barrone Court, moving to its present location at the Glenns, north of Birr, in 1909.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birr Golf Club - Top 100 Golf Courses of Ireland |url=https://top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/birr |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705151025/https://top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/birr |archive-date=5 July 2018 |access-date=17 August 2018}}</ref>

==Events and festivals== [[File:Birr Theatre and Arts Centre - geograph.org.uk - 167190.jpg|thumb|225px|Birr Theatre and Arts Centre]] The annual Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival takes place in the town in August. The festival is run over one week, and includes a vintage parade, markets, and music and theatre events. Birr is also home to Birr Festival of Music, OFFline Film Festival, Scripts Ireland's Playwriting Festival and Hullabaloo! Offaly's Children's Arts Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Festivals {{!}} Birr Theatre & Arts Centre |url=https://www.birrtheatre.com/festivals |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920000947/https://www.birrtheatre.com/festivals |archive-date=20 September 2020 |access-date=31 August 2020 |website=birr-theatre |language=en}}</ref>

Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, located in the Oxmantown Mall, is a local cultural and social amenity for the arts, dance, film, music and theatre. The theatre has a 220 seating capacity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Birr Theatre and Arts Centre - Technical |url=http://www.birrtheatre.com/technical.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730171628/http://www.birrtheatre.com/technical.shtml |archive-date=30 July 2013 |website=birrtheatre.com}}</ref> The building dates from January 1889 and is a [[Victorian architecture|Victorian period style]] structure within the surrounds of the tree lined Oxmantown Mall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Birr Theatre and Arts Centre - History |url=http://www.birrtheatre.com/history.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805055253/http://www.birrtheatre.com/history.shtml |archive-date=5 August 2012 |website=birrtheatre.com}}</ref> Birr Stage Guild also stage plays in the theatre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Birr Stage Guild |url=http://www.birrstageguild.com/index.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130407195739/http://www.birrstageguild.com/index.htm |archive-date=7 April 2013 |access-date=13 January 2013}}</ref>

[[File:St Brendan's, Birr - geograph.org.uk - 167188.jpg|thumb|St Brendan's Church of Ireland]]

==People== {{See also|Category:People from Birr, County Offaly}} * [[Luka Bloom]], singer, wrote most of his 1998 album 'Salty Heaven' while resident in the town and described Birr as having the best trees in Ireland in the album's liner notes * [[Eamon Bulfin]], Irish republican activist during the 1916 [[Easter Rising]], raised the [[Irish Tricolour]] over the [[General Post Office|GPO]] during the rising * [[William Bulfin]], early 20th-century author * [[John Caffrey]], recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]] * [[Joseph Stirling Coyne]] (1803–1868), playwright, journalist, and one of the first editors of [[Punch magazine]] * Brenda Dolphin (born 1945), psychologist and postulator for the beatification of [[Catherine McAuley]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 February 2019 |title=Sr. Brenda Dolphin, Provincial Leader of Mercy Sisters |url=https://www.killaloediocese.ie/sr-brenda-dolphin-provincial-leader-of-mercy-sisters/ |access-date=16 February 2024 |publisher=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe|Killaloe Diocese]]}}</ref> * [[Olwyn Enright]], former [[Fine Gael]] [[Teachta Dála|TD]] for [[Laois–Offaly]] * [[Tom Enright]], former [[Fine Gael]] [[Teachta Dála|TD]] for [[Laois–Offaly]] * [[Barry Glendenning]], journalist * [[Des Keogh]], actor, born in Birr in 1935 * [[Mundy]], musician * [[John Murray (VC)|John Murray]], recipient of the Victoria Cross * [[Bernadette O'Farrell]] actress best known for playing [[Maid Marian]] in the 1950s TV version of ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' * [[William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse]], astronomer * [[William Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse]], businessman and current owner of [[Birr Castle]] * [[Johnny Pilkington]], hurler * [[Aidan Quinn]], actor * [[Roesy (singer)|Roesy]], musician * [[George Johnstone Stoney]], physicist * [[Mary Helena Synge]], composer * [[Mary Ward (scientist)|Mary Ward]], first person to die in a car accident, 1869 * [[Brian Whelahan]], hurler, 2009 [[Fine Gael]] candidate for Offaly County Council

==Climate== Birr, classified as an [[oceanic climate]] by [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]], has cool winters, mild summers and adequate rainfall year-round.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=56930&cityname=Birr%2C+Ireland&units= Climate Summary for Birr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903184849/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=56930&cityname=Birr%2C+Ireland&units= |date=3 September 2014}}. Weatherbase.com.</ref> {{Weather box |location = Birr (1979–2008, extremes 1881–2009) |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |Jan record high C = 15.0 |Feb record high C = 15.6 |Mar record high C = 21.7 |Apr record high C = 23.7 |May record high C = 25.7 |Jun record high C = 31.2 |Jul record high C = 30.8 |Aug record high C = 29.4 |Sep record high C = 26.6 |Oct record high C = 23.3 |Nov record high C = 17.9 |Dec record high C = 15.6 |year record high C = 31.2 |Jan high C = 8.1 |Feb high C = 8.6 |Mar high C = 10.3 |Apr high C = 12.6 |May high C = 15.5 |Jun high C = 17.8 |Jul high C = 19.6 |Aug high C = 19.3 |Sep high C = 17.1 |Oct high C = 13.6 |Nov high C = 10.4 |Dec high C = 8.6 |year high C = 13.5 |Jan mean C = 5.1 |Feb mean C = 5.3 |Mar mean C = 6.8 |Apr mean C = 8.4 |May mean C = 11.0 |Jun mean C = 13.6 |Jul mean C = 15.6 |Aug mean C = 15.3 |Sep mean C = 13.2 |Oct mean C = 10.1 |Nov mean C = 7.2 |Dec mean C = 5.6 |year mean C = 9.8 |Jan low C = 2.0 |Feb low C = 2.0 |Mar low C = 3.3 |Apr low C = 4.3 |May low C = 6.6 |Jun low C = 9.5 |Jul low C = 11.6 |Aug low C = 11.3 |Sep low C = 9.3 |Oct low C = 6.6 |Nov low C = 4.0 |Dec low C = 2.7 |year low C = 6.1 |Jan record low C = -15.6 |Feb record low C = -12.9 |Mar record low C = -10.5 |Apr record low C = -6.7 |May record low C = -3.3 |Jun record low C = -0.3 |Jul record low C = 2.7 |Aug record low C = 1.2 |Sep record low C = -1.9 |Oct record low C = -7.8 |Nov record low C = -9.4 |Dec record low C = -12.3 |year record low C = -15.6 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 78.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 58.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 67.4 |Apr precipitation mm = 55.0 |May precipitation mm = 59.5 |Jun precipitation mm = 66.5 |Jul precipitation mm = 59.4 |Aug precipitation mm = 81.6 |Sep precipitation mm = 66.4 |Oct precipitation mm = 94.2 |Nov precipitation mm = 74.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 83.8 |year precipitation mm = 845.7 |unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm |Jan precipitation days = 19 |Feb precipitation days = 15 |Mar precipitation days = 19 |Apr precipitation days = 15 |May precipitation days = 16 |Jun precipitation days = 16 |Jul precipitation days = 16 |Aug precipitation days = 18 |Sep precipitation days = 17 |Oct precipitation days = 19 |Nov precipitation days = 18 |Dec precipitation days = 18 |year precipitation days = 206 |Jan snow days = 3.5 |Feb snow days = 2.6 |Mar snow days = 2.5 |Apr snow days = 0.8 |May snow days = 0.2 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.0 |Nov snow days = 0.2 |Dec snow days = 1.9 |year snow days = 11.7 |Jan humidity = 82.4 |Feb humidity = 75.6 |Mar humidity = 71.6 |Apr humidity = 65.1 |May humidity = 64.7 |Jun humidity = 66.2 |Jul humidity = 67.5 |Aug humidity = 68.5 |Sep humidity = 70.3 |Oct humidity = 76.1 |Nov humidity = 81.1 |Dec humidity = 84.5 |year humidity = 72.8 |Jan sun = 46.5 |Feb sun = 62.2 |Mar sun = 89.9 |Apr sun = 135.0 |May sun = 158.1 |Jun sun = 129.0 |Jul sun = 120.9 |Aug sun = 124.0 |Sep sun = 105.0 |Oct sun = 89.9 |Nov sun = 57.0 |Dec sun = 43.4 |year sun = |Jand sun = 1.5 |Febd sun = 2.2 |Mard sun = 2.9 |Aprd sun = 4.5 |Mayd sun = 5.1 |Jund sun = 4.3 |Juld sun = 3.9 |Augd sun = 4.0 |Sepd sun = 3.5 |Octd sun = 2.9 |Novd sun = 1.9 |Decd sun = 1.4 |yeard sun = 3.2 |source 1 = Met Éireann<ref>{{cite web |title=Birr 1979–2008 averages |url=http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/1981-2010/birr.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322115026/http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/1981-2010/birr.html |archive-date=22 March 2015 |access-date=13 January 2015 |publisher=[[Met Éireann]]}}</ref><ref name=absmax>{{cite web |title=Absolute Maximum Air Temperatures for each Month at Selected Stations |url=http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/extreme_maxtemps.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124135/http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/extreme_maxtemps.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=13 October 2016 |publisher=[[Met Éireann]]}}</ref><ref name=absmin>{{cite web |title=Absolute Minimum Air Temperatures for each Month at Selected Stations |url=http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/extreme-mintemps.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129063649/http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/extreme-mintemps.pdf |archive-date=29 January 2017 |access-date=13 October 2016 |publisher=[[Met Éireann]]}}</ref> }}

==See also== * [[List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland|List of towns and villages in Ireland]] * [[List of market houses in the Republic of Ireland|Market Houses in Ireland]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikivoyage|Birr}} {{Commons category|Birr, County Offaly|Birr}} * [http://www.birrcastle.com/ Birr Castle Demesne] * [http://www.birrtheatre.com/ Birr Theatre & Arts Centre] * [http://www.birrleisurecentre.ie/ Birr Leisure Centre] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080512062709/http://www.travelpublishing.co.uk/CountryLivingIreland/Offaly/CLIBirrScientificandHeritageFoundation.htm The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation (link 1)] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110926232839/http://www.ul.ie/~strunz/birr/BSHC.html The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation (link 2)] * [http://www.offaly.ie/offalyhome/yourcouncil/towncouncils/BirrTC/ Birr Town Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808165309/http://www.offaly.ie/offalyhome/yourcouncil/towncouncils/BirrTC/ |date=8 August 2007}}

{{County Offaly}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe}} {{Authority control}}

[[Category:Birr, County Offaly| ]] [[Category:Towns and villages in County Offaly]] [[Category:Civil parishes of County Offaly]] [[Category:Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland]] [[Category:Parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe]] [[Category:Former urban districts in the Republic of Ireland]]