20 Jan Birr Telescope , County Offaly , Ireland
An interesting option for any Ireland tours.
The Birr Telescope is situated in Birr , County Offaly.
It was the largest telescope in the world during the nineteenth century.
It was also known as the “Levathian of Pasrsonstown”.
It was built by William Parsons , the Third Earl of Rosse , in the early 1840 s.
When completed in 1845 , the telescope contained a 72 inch mirror , mounted in a 56 foot tube , weighing over 3 tons.
It was surpassed in size only in 1917 by the Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson in California.
A “hidden gem” option on any tours of Ireland.