IBIOLImembersvisitBirrCastleDemesne,CoOffaly.

16thJuly2016

AfterourmorningcoffeeintheCourtyardCafe,wewerewelcomedbyourveryentertainingandinformativeguide,DamianHarte.AtBirr,thereisanextensivesciencecentrewithexhibitionscoveringtheParson’sfamily’sachievementsinastronomy,engineering,philosophy,photography,andbotany.CharlesParsons,sonofthe3rdearl,inventedthefirsthighperformancesteamturbinesforthegenerationofelectricity.Inthecourtyard,wesawthebladesfromoneofhisturbinesfromalocalpowerstation.However,ourfocusforthemorningwasonthenaturalhistoryofthedemesneandontherestoredgreattelescopeThegardensarehometoanabundanceofraretrees,collectedbytheEarlsofRosseontheirtravelsaroundtheworldoverthelast150years.Inaddition,itwasthefirstgardeninIrelandtoreceivespecimensoftheDawnRedwoodafteritsdiscoveryinChinain1945.Treadingcautiously,tongueincheek,withprofessionalbiologists,Damianchallengedus

toidentifytwotreesatthegatesofthecastleavenue:werecognisedahawthornandbeechbutcouldn’tnamethemastheyweresouthernhemispherespecies.

TheMoatWalk(insertpictureofcastle)

AswestrolledalongtheMoatWalkinfrontoftheCastle,thegreatO’Carrolloakwhichisover500yearsold,cameintoview.

Betweenthisoakandthecastlemoat,thegrasslandmeadowshavenotbeenploughedsinceatleast1,620.InSpringthegrassgrowslong,andnativewildflowersseedfreely.

Thisroughhayiseatenonlybytraditionalhighlandcattle.TherewasagiantSequioawhichhadsurvivedrepeatedlightningstrikesasshownbytheblackstreaksalongthebark;thedamagetothetreeislimitedduetoaflame-resistantsubstanceinthebark.

AswelefttheMoatWalk,wesawablazeofcolouralongaterracebytheCastle:itwasabeautifulherbaceousborderselectedbythepresentCountessofRosse.

LookingacrosstheCamcorriverfromthispoint,thereisanextensivemagnoliacollectionwhichflowersinSpring.Michael,the6thEarlstartedthegreatcollectionofmagnolias,findingthatalthoughthegardenismostlyonlimeysoil,magnoliasgrowverywellthere,especiallyintheRiverGarden.Onhishoneymoon,afterhismarriagetoAnneMesselfromNyman’sGardeninSussex,theyvisitedChina.HeretheymadecontactwithaprofessorfromtheinstituteofBiologyinBeijingandsubscribedtoChineseplant-huntingexpeditions.Thiscontactwasthebeginningofcontinualco-operationbetweenBirrandChinainthebotanicalfield.Trees,especiallyfromWesternChina

flourishatBirr.SeedsofthefirstmetasequoiatobediscoveredcametoBirrinthe1940sandthereisnowafinetreefromthisdate.

TheGreatTelescope

In the early 1840’s, the Third Earl of Rosse designed and built the largesttelescopeintheworld.Withthistelescope,hediscoveredthespiralnatureofsome of the galaxies. From 1845-1914, anyone wishing to witness thisphenomenon had to come to Birr. And they came in their hundreds, fromacrossEuropeandbeyond,toobservethestarswithLordRosse,orsimplylikeus,tomarvelatthisfeatofengineeringinthemiddleofIreland.ThisReflecting telescoperemained the largest in theworld forover70yearsand is arguably the largest historic scientific instrument still working today.This ‘leviathan’ , as it is named, remains in the centre of the Demesne asIreland’s greatest scientific wonder and represents a masterpiece of humancreativegenius.

The Science centre demonstrates how the extraordinary telescope, nowmagnificentlyrestored,wasbuiltinthecastleworkshopsbythepeopleofBirr.Scientific instruments are displayed alongside interactive models to explainhowtheywereused.

TheFormalGarden

Weenteredthroughtheromantichornbeamcloisterwalk,plantedbyAnne,CountessofRossein1936tocelebratehermarriagetothe6thEarlofRosse.Itboaststheworld’stallestboxhedge.Boxwood,becauseofitsstrength,combinedwithlightnessandflexibilitywasusedtomakeaircraftduringthefirstworldwar;thispracticecontinuedintothe1930s.

TuckedinanintimatecourtyardisapergolawithaspectacularWisteria.Acollectionofoldrosescomplementsthedelphiniumborderinseason.

AfteralmosttwohoursofmostpleasantcommentarywerepairedtotheCourtyardCafeforsustenanceonceagain.

MaryDagg,Member,IBIOLI