One of the greatest engineering feats and discoveries at Birr was by the 3rd Earl of Rosse, William Parsons, who created the “Leviathan of Parsonstown”. After experimenting in creation of several ...

Irish Mirror reporter Eamon Doggett visited the heart of the country and found many reasons to change his mind about the ...

Because of the shape he drew, we still refer to it as the Crab Nebula (M1). The Leviathan of Parsonstown remained in use until 1890. The restoration of this giant instrument was completed in 1997.

Founded in 1785, DIAS Dunsink Observatory has been home to many of Ireland’s most famous scientists, including Sir William Rowan Hamilto n. Birr Castle Demesne began as a private observatory of the ...

The Great Telescope, also known as The Leviathan of Parsonstown, was built at Birr Castle Demesne in the 1840s by the Third Earl of Rosse. It was the largest telescope in the world at the time.

Birr Castle and Dunsink observatory: Landmarks of Irish scientific heritage If you’ve never been to Birr Castle, you might not realise that it once housed the world’s largest telescope. Known as the ...

Birr Castle Demesne, which began as a private observatory of the 3rd Earl of Rosse on the grounds of his castle in Co Offaly, was the home of the Great Leviathan of Parsonstown, a six-foot ...

Birr Castle Demesne began as a private observatory of the 3rd Earl of Rosse, and is famous for the Great Leviathan of Parsonstown, built in 1845, then the largest telescope in the world.

The resulting reflecting telescope, known as the “Leviathan of Parsonstown,” had a tube 49 ft (15 meters) long suspended between massive masonry walls, looking more like a fortification than a ...

Thursday 7 December 2006 Chief Guide John Joyce looks on as Quentin Cooper winds the handle to convey engineer Michael Tubridy to the observing position of the Leviathan of Parsonstown.