Birr Castle part of application to become UNESCO Heritage Site

BIRR CASTLE is part of an application which has been made to Unesco to make it part of a Unesco world heritage site.

The application has been made by Dunsink and Armagh observatories and the Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation.

The application states that all three sites represent a unique astronomical heritage in Ireland which is deserving of Unesco recognition. In Birr the 19th Century Leviathan and the 21st Century Radio Telescope are both very important constructions.

Cllr John Carroll told a recent meeting of Birr 20:20 that an application had been made.

"It's an extremely difficult thing to get Unesco world heritage status," he remarked, "and to get it would be a massive thing. Anything with the Unesco stamp of approval is seen as having a very special value in the heritage world."

He said it could take a long time before Unesco comes back to the applicants with its decision.