Borris – a small village in Co. Carlow is one of Ireland’s hidden treasures that looks to the Blackstair mountains in the east and Mount Leinster to the west. Within this small enclave of the Island is a place called “Borris House”, which is also the ancestral home of the Macmurrough Kavanaghs. The Kavanagh family were the former Irish kings of Leinster and have been a part of Borris since the start of their royal status. The famed family has been inhabitants of the Tudor style Borris House that was even in medieval times a symbol of their importance. The house today is open for visitation to the public.

In the 18th century, the then landlord Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh of Borris House brought into focus the sawmill and lace making industry. Kavanagh being a business pioneer of his time also was also responsible for the sixteen arch viaduct that can be seen from the city. The viaduct was a historical landmark at the time due to the trade connections it brought between “Muine Bheag” aka Bagenalstown and Wexford. Today in the somewhat sleepy town of Borris there is a quaint pub known as O’Shea’s. The charming rural pub is still set in its traditional victorian style and it is still till this day in the hands of the O’Shea family. The Pub is also part grocery store, delivering a peek into the 18th and 19th centuries. The pub today is still pouring frothy pints and playing trad music for its guests and locals.

O' Shea's Pub, Main Street, Borris, Co. Carlow, +353 (0)59 9773106 https://www.facebook.com/pages/O-Sheas-Borris/1447741815507209