Emo Court, located near the village of Emo in County Laois, was designed by the architect James Gandon in 1790 for John Dawson, the first Earl of Portarlington. Other buildings by him include the Custom House and Kings Inns, both in Dublin, although Emo Court is the only house to have been designed by Gandon.
The building of the house took a long time and when the 1st Earl died it was far from finished. The 2nd Earl employed new architects to continue the work. While the house did become habitable during his lifetime, it was still unfinished when he died 47 years later. The 3rd Earl brought Emo Court to a state closely resembling that which it is today.
Birr Castle Demesne is a really special place with a long and inspiring history. The grounds encompass the magnificent award winning gardens, Ireland’s Historic Science Centre, the world famous Great Telescope, the Discovery Shop and the Courtyard Café.
