Borris

This page describes Borris in County Carlow. For Borris-in-Ossory in County Laois, see Mountrath.

Borris (An Bhuiríos) is a village in the south of County Carlow, with a population in 2022 of 700. The main reasons to visit are for events at Borris House and for hiking in the Blackstairs mountains.

By road from Dublin follow M9 to Exit 6 onto R448, then take R705 south through Bagenalstown.

Local Link Bus 887 runs three times a day from Carlow, taking 45 min via Leighlinbridge and Bagenalstown / Muine Bheag. It continues to Tinnahinch and New Ross, another hour.

Local Link Bus 881 runs four times a day from Kilkenny to Gowran (for racecourse), Goresbridge and Borris, 40 min, and continues to Tinnahinch and Graignamanagh.

Carlow, Bagenalstown and Kilkenny have trains every hour or two between Dublin Heuston and Waterford.

52.6002-6.9241 Town Hall is the central bus stop in Borris, junction of Main St and Fenagh Rd. Buses also stop further west at Woodlawn Park.

You need wheels to reach nearby attractions, such as the trailhead for Mount Leinster.

• Village centre is a line of late Georgian cottages, mostly single-storey and white or grey-harled. The houses are east side of the street, while west is the wall of the Borris House estate, with an imposing gatehouse.
• 52.5984-6.92641 Borris House is a mansion of 1731, re-vamped in mock-Tudor in 1820. It's now a wedding and events venue, no tours, but you might manage to peek at the exterior.
• 52.5964-6.91552 Borris Viaduct, with 16 arches, was built in the 1850s to carry the railway between Bagenalstown and Wexford. The track was abandoned in the 1960s, and the viaduct now has a firm footpath, handrails and ramp access.
• 52.58-6.9333 Ullard Church: see Graignamanagh for this 12th-century ruin. As the crow flies it's closer to Borris, but by road you have to backtrack on R705 to cross the river.
• 52.583-6.7674 Mount Leinster is the peak of 793 m (2605 ft) rising to the east, the highest of the Blackstairs Mountains along the boundary with County Wexford. It's easily ascended by the track from Nine Stones car park to its north.

• Borris Golf Club, Deerpark, Borris R95 ET21 (south end of village), ☏ +353 59 977 3310, info@borrisgolfclub.ie. Parkland course, white tees 5517 m, par 70. (updated Oct 2026)
• South Leinster Way is a 104-km hiking trail from Kildavin, County Carlow to Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary. From the northeast it comes into Borris along the lane, turns northwest to join R705, then from the bridge heads south along the east bank of the river to Graignamanagh.
• Boating: the river is navigable throughout, with short sections of canal and locks to get past the weirs and shallows, but there are no mooring facilities around Borris.
• Festival of Writing and Ideas is held at Borris House in June.

Centra on Main St is open M-Sa 7AM-8:30PM, Su 9AM-7PM.

The Bank of Ireland has an external ATM.

Takeaways along Main St are Jade Dragon and Benni's.

Bob's Bar and Joyce's are the village pubs; Joyce's has rooms.

• Step House Hotel, Main St, Borris R95 V2CR, ☏ +353 59 977 3209, info@stephousehotel.ie. Charming Georgian manor house in village centre with gardens, gets great reviews for comfort, food and service. B&B double €150. (updated Oct 2026)
• Brenda's B&B, Viaduct View, Kilcoltrim, Borris R95 RY89 (south edge of village), ☏ +353 59 977 1860, info@brendasband.ie. Clean welcoming B&B with two doubles, one triple and one king double plus single. (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.5952-6.90061 Base Glamp, Kilcoltrim R95 E6RT, ☏ +353 87 793 1101. Comfy glamping cabins. Double €130.  (updated Oct 2026)

As of Oct 2026, Borris and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone and 5G from Three, but only a poor patchy signal from Eir.

• Kilkenny is a lively little medieval city, effectively capital of Ireland for six turbulent years.
• Graignamanagh is a quiet scenic village on the navigable River Barrow.
• New Ross on the tidal river has the replica emigrant ship Dunbrody and is near the homestead of the ancestors of US President John F Kennedy, and arboretum.