IV.

Places of Interest

Tullamore, the county town, straddles the Grand Canal, and was laid out as a planned town in the late 18th century; it contains many fine Georgian buildings. Charleville Forest Castle, a large neo-Gothic mansion, was designed by Francis Johnston in the late 18th century and built between 1800 and 1812. Birr Castle dates from about 1620 and has extensive grounds, which contain the world's tallest box hedge (12 m/40 ft). The castle is well known for the scientific achievements of the earls of Rosse, owners for the past four centuries. In 1845, the third earl, William Parsons, built a 1.8-m (72-in) reflecting telescope through which he first identified spiral nebulae 10 million light years into space. Lawrence, the fourth earl, was the first person to measure the heat of the Moon, while his brother, Sir Charles Parsons, invented the steam turbine engine. The seventh earl has restored the giant telescope and its mountings to full working order—although it is now computer-controlled.

Clonmacnoise near Shannonbridge is the most important monastic settlement in Ireland and was the burial place for the kings of Connaught and Tara, including the last high king of Ireland, Rory O’Connor (died 1198). Founded by St Ciaran in ad 548, it was an important centre of learning in medieval Ireland, producing many treasured manuscripts, including the Book of the Dun Cow (now in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin). Durrow Abbey, founded by St Columba in the mid-6th century, lies to the north of Tullamore. The Book of Durrow was completed there in the 7th century and is now housed in the University of Dublin. The grounds include a medieval church, a high cross, and a cemetery.