The Rosse Drawings Exhibition

For Heritage Week 2025 a remarkable exhibition of historic astronomical drawings, including sketches believed to have influenced Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, has opened in the Copper Tree Gallery at Birr Castle Demesne.

The exhibition showcases the renowned drawings of William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, and includes extraordinary depictions of spiral nebulae, created in Birr between 1845 and 1866 using the Great Telescope - the world’s largest at the time.

Created under tough night-time conditions, these drawings mark a key moment in astronomy, offering a rare look at the universe before the era of astrophotography. They also highlight the deep connection between science and art, showing how early astronomers not only explored space but brought it to life through detailed, hand-drawn images.

The works in this exhibition are one of the earliest examples of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland (AOI) partnership, which unites Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, Dunsink Observatory, and the Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation.