Historic town

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on flat pasture in undulating countryside. While there is no firm documentary evidence that Borrisoleigh was a medieval town its name, meaning borough of Ui Luighdheach, would suggest that it had borough status. References in historical sources to Borrisoleigh appear to be relating to Borris (Two-Mile-Borris) (TN042-052). The tower house (TN034-046001) in the present town belonged to the Burke family in the sixteenth century (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 123). An Inquisition taken at Clonmel in 1628 describes Borrisoleigh as the 'manor, castle, town and lands of Borres O Leagh' (Callanan 1936-9, 68). In the Civil Survey 1654-6 Borres Ileigh is described as a 'castle and Bawne of Borres in good repaire, with an orchard, a good garden, a water corne mill in repaire, six thatcht houses and many Cabbins' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 89). A former church and graveyard (TN034-046003) at the W end of the town, levelled between 1840 and 1902-3, may have been part of the earlier settlement.

In 2002 archaeological monitoring by Anne-Marie Lennon on a single storey extension to a factory within the zone of archaeological potential revealed nothing of archaeological interest. This monitoring was carried out under Licence No. 02E0211 (Bennett 2004, 471).

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008