Borrisoleigh derives its name from the ancient territory of
Uí Luighdheach in which it was situated. An annual cattle fair was held here every 27 November until the 1960s. The first recorded settlement here was an abbey established by St. Cualan at Glean Caoin, anglicised as "Glankeen Abbey." Kilcuilan (St. Cualan's Church) was dedicated to him at a nearby holy well. A bell attributed to this saint, known as the "Bearnan Culan" or "
Glankeen Bell" is now housed at the
British Museum in London. A replica may be seen in the sanctuary of the parish church in Borrisoleigh. After the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the O'Dwyer and DeBurgo clans established a fortress on the River Camoge as a defence against the native settlement at
Ileigh. Its ruins may still be seen as you leave Borrisoleigh on the
Templemore Road. In October 1846, absentee landlord
Henry Dawson-Damer, 3rd Earl of Portarlington, threw a banquet at the Temperance Hall in Borrisoleigh while the surrounding parish was suffering through the
Great Famine. He left a meager one hundred pound donation to the local Poor Relief Committee when he returned to England.
Catholic church The parish priest
Michael Slattery was appointed Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in 1833. Slattery was succeeded by
Father William Morris, who led 118 local men in signing the
Cormack Petition in 1858. This document provides a vital snapshot of the town's population, including its largest families (in this order): Ryan, Bourke, Kennedy, Dwyer, Maher, Gleeson, Harrington, and Patterson. It also shows the top 10 male given names were: John, James, Patrick, William, Michael, Daniel, Martin, Philip, Thomas, Edmond (tie), and Jeremiah (tie). In 1877, Catholics from across the Province of Munster met to sign an appeal to Archbishop Croke of Cashel, urging him to secure the right to a religious university education. Representing Borrisoleigh were its parish priest Patrick, Canon Morris; Joseph Power, licensed surgeon; and Poor Law guardians Richard Chadwick and John Bourke. Borrisoleigh has produced two well-known Catholic bishops: Joseph Shanahan (1871–1943) and
Thomas Quinlan (1896–1970).
Church of Ireland In 1785, a parish church for the
Church of Ireland parish of
Glenkeen was built in Borrisoleigh, on the site where St. Brigid's Cemetery is today. The glebe-house, which had a
glebe of , was in the
townland of Glenkeen. When the parish church was closed, the glebe house was sold in 1870. ==Amenities==