Walking tour of Birr to take place this weekend

On Sunday, July 23, historian and archeologist Denis Shine will lead a walking tour of Birr, the theme of which is 'Looking Beyond the Georgian'.

The tour organised by Offaly History Centre will meet at John’s Hall, John’s Mall, Birr at 3pm. The tour is expected to take about 90 minutes and will go along the footpaths beside the Camcor, back into John’s Mall, via the old distillery, Emmet Square, Oxmantown Mall, the lanes behind Main Street, the old monastic site and church, Castle Street and conclude.

It is advised to wear sensible gear. If you need a lift to Birr you can contact info@offalyhistory.com or ring +353-5793-21421. Admission is free.

Birr is a beautiful historic town in the heart of the Irish midlands, which is synonymous for both its outstanding Georgian architecture and Birr Castle Demesne and Gardens. The castle remains the private residence of Brendan Parsons (the 7th Earl of Rosse) and his family, with the grounds containing a series of gardens (within a 120-acre demesne) and, perhaps most impressively, the Leviathan Telescope - the largest telescope in the world for 70 years from its construction in 1845.

Whilst Birr is rightly renowned for its Georgian streetscapes and the scientific achievements of the Parsons family the town also possesses a significant (yet frequently overlooked) early and later medieval history.

Birr is also home to an early medieval monastery which was reputedly founded by St Brendan in the 6th century. The monastery developed as a prestigious and influential foundation, with its most famous associations being to the Synod of Adomnáin (697 AD) and the c. 9th century Macregol Gospels.

The town also has a significant later medieval history centred around the site of the ‘Black Castle’ within the confines of the current demesne. In 1201, following the grant of land in East Munster and Éile to the Anglo-Norman Theobald Walter, his follower Hugh de Hose most likely constructed a motte castle in Birr, overlooking the River Camcor.

An Anglo-Norman castle was certainly established by at least 1207, when it is first recorded in the Annals of Clonmacnoise. Birr’s medieval castle ultimately reverted to the O'Carrolls of Ely sometime in mid-14th century, becoming one of the principal seats of the ruling branch of that dynasty until it was sold to Butler of Ormond in 1594. In 1619 Sir Charles O'Carroll died and in 1621 during the Plantation of Ely O'Carroll, Laurence Parsons was granted the lands, 'castle and fortilage' of Birr beginning a 400-year association of the Parsons family to Birr."

Tour guide Denis is a native of Wexford but long-term resident of Birr. He holds a BA (2001) in Archaeology and History and an MA (2002) in Landscape Archaeology from University College Dublin. In 2014 he was awarded a PhD (2014) from Monash University (Melbourne) for his doctoral research, ‘Changing Places: An Archaeological Study of Manilikarr Country in Western Arnhem Land’, a study which adopted a collaborative archaeological survey with the host community. Since then, Denis’ focus has been on building long-standing sustainable heritage projects with local communities.

Denis joined the IAFS as partner in 2014 and is co-founder and Director of the Irish Heritage School. Between his post-graduate studies Denis worked as a professional archaeologist for nearly 10 years, covering a wide array of research topics. He was granted full Irish archaeological licence eligibility in 2006 and since that date has acted as senior archaeologist on a range of projects – with a focus on the High Medieval period.

Denis’ current research interests lie in the sub-disciplines of public archaeology, medieval Irish archaeology and Indigenous Australian archaeology. He thrives on supporting local communities in formulating, delivering and disseminating research projects, which contribute to a longer-term appreciation for their local heritage.

Denis has published locally, nationally and internationally on these topics. Denis was until recently an adjunct with Australia National University (ANU Researcher), one of the foremost archaeological departments in the world and largest university in Australia. He continues an active collaboration with ANU, focused on best practice public archaeology.

He is lead instructor for the Ferrycarrig, Ferns, and Monastic Midlands field schools, run in partnership with the Institute for Field Research. He teaches and coordinates a number of modules for Maynooth University (MU) as well as a large range of other courses.