Borris, County Carlow
Borris
An Bhuiríos | |
|---|---|
Village | |
Main Street | |
Borris Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 52°36′08″N 6°55′30″W / 52.602109°N 6.925077°W | |
| Continent | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Carlow |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.74 km2 (1.44 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 53 m (174 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 702 |
| • Density | 188/km2 (486/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | S733503 |
Borris (Irish: An Bhuiríos, formerly Buirgheas Ó nDróna)[2] is a village on the River Barrow, in County Carlow, Ireland. It lies on the R702 regional road.
Borris has views of the neighbouring countryside with Mount Leinster and the Blackstairs Mountains to the east, and the Barrow Valley to the west. It is the home to Borris House,[3] the ancestral home of the MacMurrough Kavanaghs.
Amenities
The village has one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland[4] as well as a 16-arch limestone viaduct (the 16 Bridges) built in 1860 and designed by William Richard Le Fanu.[5] It has a hotel, "The Step House", a mixed national school and mixed vocational school (colloquially known as "The Tech" or "BVS"), a Roman Catholic church, three public houses and other shops and stores.
The old school closed in 1980 and has been used by different community groups, including Scouting Ireland. It also houses CRISP (Carlow Rural Information Services Project) and a branch of the Carlow County Library.
Borris House caters for weddings and has hosted concerts (including by Mary Coughlan and Mundy). Borris House has also hosted the "Festival of Writing and Ideas" during the summer.[6]
History
The MacMurrough Kavanagh dynasty, former Irish Kings of Leinster, have been based in the town for some time. The family still live at Borris House in the town centre. Built in Tudor style, the house is open to groups by prior arrangement.
The village prospered in the late 1800s as Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh, the landlord of the time, developed a sawmill and a lace-making industry. He also instigated the building of the 16-arch viaduct, situated at the lower end of the village, which was intended to carry the now defunct Great Southern and Western Railway line between Muine Bheag and Wexford. Borris railway station opened on 20 December 1858, closed for passenger traffic on 2 February 1931 and for goods traffic on 27 January 1947, finally closing altogether on 1 April 1963.[7]
Housing developments in the area include Lodge Court, Woodlawn Park, Oak Tree Court, and Station Road.
Sports and clubs
Borris is home to Mount Leinster Rangers GAA club, which was founded in 1988 with the amalgamation of 3 parish teams: Borris, Ballymurphy and Rathanna. In 2006, the club won its first Carlow Senior Hurling Championship, beating St Mullin's in the final. The club went on to win several additional senior championships, and won its 12th senior county hurling title in 2025.[8] In 2012, the club won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship title.[9]
The local Scouting Ireland group, the 3rd Carlow Borris Scout group, was founded in 1983.
Notable people
- Sarah Breen, author and journalist
- Pat Byrne, winner of the first series of The Voice of Ireland
- Olivia O'Leary, journalist, writer and current affairs presenter
See also
References
- ^ "Census Interactive Map – Towns: Borris". Census 2022. Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ "An Bhuiríos/Borris". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Government of Ireland. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Borris House". Morgan and Sara Kavanagh. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ^ "Borris Golf Club". Borris Golf Club. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ^ "Borris Viaduct, Borris, County Carlow". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
- ^ "Festival of Writing and Ideas". Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ^ "Borris station" (PDF). Railscot – Irish Railways. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ "Rangers reign supreme in Carlow once again". Carlow Nationalist. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "14-man Rangers make history". Irish Examiner. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2026.