Markree Observatory was an astronomical observatory in County Sligo, Ireland. The asteroid 9 Metis was discovered from this observatory in 1848 by Cooper's assistant Andrew Graham using a comet seeker telescope.
The observatory was also home to the largest refractor of the early 1830s, which had a 13.3-inch (340 mm) aperture Cauchoix of Paris lens; the largest in the world at that time. The observatory also housed a number of instruments and was operated to varying degrees throughout the 19th century.
William Doberck [sv] using the refracting telescope at Markree Observatory
The entrance gate
Edward Joshua Cooper was an Irish landowner, politician and astronomer from Markree Castle in County Sligo. He sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1841 and from 1857 to 1859, but is best known for his astronomy, and as the creator of Markree Observatory.
Temporary mounting of an achromatic refracting telescope: the property of E.J. Cooper, Esq. M.P. Lithograph 1831
Ex Libris: Edward Joshua Cooper, Markree Castle, Coat of arms
Image: Edward Joshua Cooper