Birr
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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
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phone: +353 57 912-0336Home 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.
Do
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phone: +353 57 912-0082address: The GlennsCarved out of natural woodland and eskers, it provides a strong challenge for even the most accomplished golfers.
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phone: +353 57 912-2911address: Oxmantown M allTheatre, music - classical, contemporary, folk, jazz etc, film, dance, comedy
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phone: +353 87 922 6961Week long arts festival event celebrating Birr's heritage and culture.
Eat
Tony's TakeawayChips.
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The Thatch
phone: +353 57 912-0682address: Military Road CrinkillTraditional dishes, plenty of seafood and some vegetarian options. -
phone: +353 57 912-3779address: Castle StFamily run boutique restaurant and guest-house
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phone: +353 87 745-3359address: Mill StBread, Scones, Chocolate Biscuit Cake, Carrot Cake, Caramel Slices, Coffee Sponge, Almond Slices, Homemade seasonal soups, quiches, deep-filled pies and sausage rolls
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Parkers Restaurant
phone: +353 57 912 1528address: RiverstownHome made Irish cuisine overlooking the Little Brosna River -
Emma's Café
phone: +353 57 9125678address: Main StCoffee shop on Birr's main street
Drink
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The Chestnut
address: Green StVictorian style bar with cosy turf fires and dark wood interiors -
Kelly's
phone: +353 57 912 0175address: Green StOld style pub
Sleep
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phone: +353 57 912-0032address: Emmet Square3 star hotel in the centre of Birr
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phone: +353 57 912-07914 star hotel on the edge of town