Borris, Co. Carlow: What to See, Do & Know Before You Go

It had become a ritual.

As we approached Borris, my father would say, “Open the car window now and breathe in that beautiful Borris air. Can you smell it yet?“ Although Dad spent nearly half of his life in England, his heart belonged to his hometown until the day he died.

It’s easy to see why.

Borris is a small but perfectly formed Georgian estate town in the Barrow Valley, Co. Carlow. Local granite buildings flank the north side of its gently sloping high street, while Borris House — the ancestral seat of the MacMurrough Kavanaghs, descendants of the Kings of Leinster — dominates the opposite side. At the lower end of town, the clock tower of the Sacred Heart Church rises over the rooftops like an exclamation mark.

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What Makes Borris Worth Visiting

Although the term ‘authentic’ is overused in travel writing, this Co. Carlow town is the real deal.

There is no evidence of Borris capitalising on its heritage and history to cash in on the tourist Euro. Aside from a few mini-supermarkets and fast-food outlets, its 19th-century buildings have largely retained their original facades and shopfronts.

Little has changed from childhood visits, when I used to accompany my grandmother on her weekly shopping trip to town. She would thumb a lift in, then move from shop to shop, passing the time of day with proprietors and having the occasional argument about the price of bacon. One of these establishments — the venerable O’Shea’s — still keeps one of her shopping invoices in its memorabilia case.

The trip would end with a promised glass of red lemonade. Happy days.

Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh: The Limbless Landlord of Borris

The fortunes of Borris are closely entwined with those of the MacMurrough Kavanaghs, and no member of that family led a more extraordinary life than Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh.

Born on 25th March 1831 without arms or legs, the reason for his deformities is debated. Some attribute it to his mother Harriett’s use of laudanum during pregnancy; others maintain the umbilical cord was to blame.

Whatever the cause, what followed beggars belief.

Arthur became a proficient horseman, an expert angler and a capable painter. Briefly exiled from Borris House after his mother discovered he’d been conducting affairs with girls on the estate, he travelled extensively, eventually becoming a despatch rider for the East India Company.

This, again, was at Harriett’s instigation; she’d found out he’d spent two weeks in an Indian harem. Arthur certainly liked the ladies.

Following the death of his older brother Thomas in 1851, he returned to take over the family estate. Under his watch, Borris prospered. He built a sawmill, founded a lace-making industry and established a lime kiln.

Elected MP for Co. Wexford at the age of 35, he became the only limbless man to sit in the House of Commons. But the political tide in Ireland was turning. In 1880 he was heavily defeated by the Home Rule candidate, and on his return to Borris — instead of the customary celebratory bonfire — the townsfolk burned him in effigy.

His political career in tatters and his health failing, he died nine years later at 58. It was said of him: “He did not equal any man, but few men equalled him.”

Borris House

The 50-room house Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh called home was built in 1731 and is one of the few great Irish houses to stand directly beside a town. Badly damaged during two attacks in the 1798 rebellion, it was restored in the early 1800s.

In 1958, following the death of her husband, Joane Kavanagh moved to a smaller property on the estate. Her son, Andrew Macalpine-Downie, later returned after a career as a jockey in England, set about running the 650-acre estate and reclaimed the Kavanagh surname. The family live there to this day.

Visiting Borris House: Open for guided tours on selected days from April to September. It also hosts the annual Festival of Writing and Ideas, usually held in June.

Borris Viaduct

Borris’s magnificent 16-arch viaduct, towering over the river 50 meters below, is another legacy of Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh.

He instigated its construction and was instrumental in bringing the railway to Borris. This line from Wexford to Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown) was operational from 1858, finally closing to passengers in 1931. The old station house still stands in the aptly named Station Road.

Thanks to a generous Government grant, which funded resurfacing work, safety enhancements and improved access, you can now walk across the viaduct.

The viaduct is located at the edge of Lower Borris. There are car parks at each end of the viaduct: the old car park on the R702 main road and a new one by Borris Vocational School.

End to end, the viaduct walk is 500 meters, making a return walk 1 kilometre long. An optional 500-meter extension takes you below the arches and along the river.

The Borris viaduct walk is also family and buggy-friendly.

Walking Near Borris

The Blackstairs Mountains run along the Carlow/Wexford border and loom over the eastern end of town; the River Barrow lies to the west. Both make for excellent walking and fishing territory.

The Barrow Way

Growing up, the River Barrow meant three things: maggots, flies and fish.

The maggots I helped Dad collect as bait. The flies buzzing around our faces as we sat on the riverbank during those hazy, endless summer days. And the smell of fried eels coming from my grandmother’s kitchen after a successful day’s fishing.

It was only when I was older that I could fully appreciate how beautiful the Barrow really is.

The Barrow Way follows the old towpath alongside the River Barrow from Robertstown to St. Mullins. The total distance is 113km.

The walk from Ballytiglea – my father’s childhood home just outside Borris – to St Mullin’s is around 11km but can be divided into sections. Except for the section that goes through Graiguenamanagh, there are no roads, no cars and no noise, except for the occasional rustle in the undergrowth.

It is worth stopping in Graiguenamanagh for Duiske Abbey, one of Ireland’s finest Cistercian monasteries. Founded in 1204, it has been rebuilt many times and now serves as the town’s parish church. It is also the home of Duiske Glass, and the gift shop sells tasteful gifts for those back home.

St Mullin’s deserves a visit in its own right. The ruins of four churches and the base of a round tower mark the monastery founded by the seventh-century St Moling, and the site has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries.

St. Moling’s Holy Well is still visited today. The MacMurrough Kavanaghs are never far from the picture in this part of Ireland; the graveyard here is said to be the burial place of the Kings of Leinster.

Borris to Nine Stones

Named after the stones commemorating nine shepherds lost on Mount Leinster, the Nine Stones is the highest point of the Blackstairs Mountains. On a clear day, you can see eight counties; on an exceptionally clear day, the Welsh coast is just about visible

The walk from Borris is just over 10km and takes around three hours. My grandfather once took me up in his wheezing Renault 4, which I feel counts.

Borris Fair

Borris Fair is held every year on 15th August, the feast of the Assumption, and is thought to date back to a 400-year-old charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I. One of Ireland’s oldest horse fairs, it draws thousands into the town.

Traveller families set up stalls along the high street selling everything from designer knock-offs to religious knick-knacks, the aroma of curried chips in the air. And there are always socks. Lots of socks

Here’s how local legend Richie Kavanagh sees it:

The Pubs of Borris

We’ve all encountered the faux Irish pub: Guinness on tap, a Gaelic road sign over the bar, cast iron everywhere. These places sprang up in the early 1990s from Seville to Singapore, trading on lazy stereotypes rather than any real tradition.

In Borris, you get the genuine article.

Whether you end up in O’Shea’s, Joyce’s or Bob’s Bar, you may not find antique spinning wheels, but you will get a warm fire and a warmer welcome. You might even be able to pick up a box of nails while you’re downing a glass of the black stuff.

So that’s Borris. In Dad’s words: “The best little town in Ireland.” It just goes to show that there really is no place like home.

Getting to Borris, Co. Carlow

Borris sits in the Barrow Valley, in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East.

Dublin Airport is 127km to the north, two hours by car along motorways. The closest railway stations are Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown), Carlow Town or Kilkenny. Check Irish Rail for times.

Public transport is limited, so a car is the most practical option. That said, the 881 bus runs twice daily from Kilkenny to Borris (40 minutes), and Bus 887 runs three times daily between Carlow and New Ross, stopping at Borris (45 minutes from Carlow Train Station). Plan your journey at Transport for Ireland.

Where to Stay in Borris

The Step House Hotel  — a boutique-style hotel in the heart of town with a hearty breakfast included. Superb.

Aunt Maggie’s — a cosy, centrally located Airbnb with a first-rate host and consistently excellent reviews.

About Bridget

Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.

Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.

To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.

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