The Irish Times

The old market and former garrison town of Birr, Co Offaly, on the Camcor River, is one of the finest heritage towns in Ireland, a status granted in 1993. Noticeably less commercial than busy Tullamore some 22 miles east of the town, it has a population of about 4,500. Birr's Georgian Society is among the most active local groups in the country and hosts an annual Georgian cricket match "under the old rules" in the grounds of Birr Castle. The society has made determined efforts to ensure owners of listed period properties remove uPVC windows and replace them in the appropriate Georgian sash style.