House — 17th century in Townparks (ballybrit By.)

Birr is situated in the low-lying fertile valley of the Little Brosna River. The town developed SE of the castle (OF035-012004-) and within the bounds of a pronounced meander in the River Camcor. The Camcor joins the Little Brosna to NW of the town. St Brendan reputedly established a monastery (OF035-012001/003-) here in the 6th century which subsequently became a prestigious and influential foundation and one of the most celebrated members of St Columcille's great federation of churches. Located in the border area between the provinces of Munster, Meath, Leinster and Connacht and itself located in the territory of Eile in Munster, the monastic settlement was frequently chosen as a venue for the meetings of both kings and churchmen, perhaps the most significant of which were the synods of AD 697 and 1174. An Anglo-Norman castle (OF035-012009-) and settlement had been established at Birr by 1207 and continued at least until c. 1315. By the mid-14th century the settlement had reverted to the O'Carrolls of Ely. The 'Black Castle' (OF035-012010) became one of the principal seats of the ruling branch of that dynasty and remained as such until its sale to Butler of Ormond in 1594. In 1621 as part of the Plantation of Ely O'Carroll, Laurence Parsons was granted the lands, 'castle and fortilage' of Birr which became the manor of Parsonstown and a new castle (OF035-012004-) was erected by the Parsons family. It was from this time and under Laurence Parsons' direction that Birr began to develop as a true town. In 1621 he obtained a grant of a Tuesady market and two annual fairs, to which were added a Saturday market and two more fairs in 1627. He rigorously imposed a number of bye laws in 1626-7 for the paving and cleaning of the town, for the erection of chimneys and the regulation of drinking houses. The survival of 17th-century domestic houses in the town is difficult to ascertain fully because the present buildings in what were the principal residential areas of the town in 1691 - Main St. and Market Square have been altered and rendered. However, several of these narrow three-storey houses are esentially 17th-century buildings, their facades added later in the 18th century. Two positively identified 17th-century which are characteristically stone-built narrow and with pitched roofs and one which carries a date of 1679, occur on the corner of Market Square and Brendan St. Another four houses, two immediately N of the above, one of which was refurbished c. 1780 by Samuel Abbot and the others on Fayle's Lane and Church Lane, may also be included. (Cooke 1875, 37-88, Bradley 1986, 20-29; Loeber Survey 1988). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 23 May 2011