Overview
Borrisoleigh’s GAA club, Borris-Ileigh, has produced All-Ireland winners in Liam Devaney and Brendan Maher – and in this corner of Tipperary, that is the history that matters most. The town itself (Irish: Buiríos Ó Luigheach, population around 700) sits on the R498 between Nenagh and Thurles, a short drive from Templemore, with traditional shopfronts, a supermarket, a post office and a handful of pubs. To the east, the horizon belongs to the Devil’s Bit, the mountain with the notch bitten out of it.
This is a working town rather than a tourist one. The reason to stop is that several centuries – early church, Norman fortress, 15th-century tower house – sit within a few minutes’ walk of each other, and all of it is free.
The ruins
Start at the parish church, rebuilt in the 19th century in Drombane limestone as a tribute to Archbishop Michael Slattery, a Borrisoleigh man who went on to lead the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. In the sanctuary hangs a replica of the Glankeen bell, from the abbey St Cualan founded at Glankeen in the early medieval period; the original sits in the British Museum. The parish keeps turning out churchmen: two 20th-century bishops, Joseph Shanahan (1871–1943) and Thomas Quinlan (1896–1970), grew up here and went on to run missions in Nigeria and Korea respectively.
Head east along the Templemore road and the ruins of the 12th-century stronghold the O’Dwyer and DeBurgo families built by the river emerge from the roadside vegetation. Back on the main street stands the 15th-century tower house, its gable carrying an inscribed slab dated 1643 with the names Richard Burke and Ellis Hurley. The tower house is the best five minutes in town – you can walk right up and read the slab. The town’s historical walking routes take in McDonagh Square and Pallas Street if you want the longer version.
The Devil’s Bit
Local legend says the Devil bit the gap out of the summit, and the missing notch makes the mountain recognisable from miles off. Marked trails run to the top, with wide views over the Tipperary countryside as the reward, and the R501 makes a good slow drive with places to pull in for photographs. Routes, difficulty ratings and conditions are in the Devil’s Bit Mountain guide.
The festival
For three days in late July – with a second, smaller outing in early October – the town runs a free festival that pulls visitors from across the province: an U10 camogie tournament in the Town Park, guided walks over the Devil’s Bit and the Inch Loop with the Bush and Briar Ramblers, music running from trad sessions to Latin Caribbean fusion, a food and craft fair, bake-offs, line-dancing and a family fun day with bubble soccer and vintage cars. If you’re going to time a visit to Borrisoleigh, time it for this.
Sport and the park
The Town Park has facilities most towns this size would envy: an outdoor swimming pool, an all-weather athletics track, a lakeside pitch-and-putt course and woodland walks. The Inch Loop Walk skirts the foothills with views over the river valley – skylarks and meadow pipits work the grassland edges, and the river holds brown trout for anglers.
Further afield
The Rock of Cashel is about 30 km away and Holy Cross Abbey, with its relic of the True Cross, about 25 km. Nenagh Castle’s 12th-century keep is up the road in Nenagh, and Cahir Castle, one of the best-preserved Norman fortresses in the country, is a longer run south on the Suir.
Practical information
The ruins, the park and the festival are all free. Parking is easy in the centre and at the Town Park, with restrictions only on festival weekends. Bus Éireann links the town with Nenagh, Thurles and Templemore, but check timetables before relying on it. There’s little accommodation in Borrisoleigh itself – stay in Thurles or Templemore, both a short drive away. The community hall has free Wi-Fi, the pubs stay open late in championship season, and festival dates and event listings are kept current at borrisoleigh.ie.