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family · Sunday 12 July 2026 · 10:00am 
Borris Horse Fair and Family Day
At Borris Village · Borris, Co. Carlow
At Borris Village · Borris, Co. Carlow
One of south Carlow’s most genuine summer days out, the Borris Horse Fair brings buyers, sellers and spectators into the village for a tradition that dates back roughly 400 years - rooted in a charter from the Elizabethan era. It is first and foremost a working horse fair, where dealers and Traveller families trade ponies and horses on the village green, but the atmosphere spills well beyond any single transaction. Families come for the colour and the noise, not just the commerce.
The horses are the centrepiece - on fair day the village green fills with animals being walked, shown and assessed, while the main street takes on the character of a market. Stalls line the road selling everything from tack to general goods, and the whole village hums with a bustle hard to find at purpose-built events. Up to 500 horses have changed hands in a single day here, and the fair draws crowds from right across the region. The real action is concentrated in the morning hours. Go early to see the horses at their liveliest and to find a good vantage point before the street gets packed.
Borris sits on the R705 in the Barrow Valley, approximately 20km south of Carlow Town. The most direct route from Dublin is via the M9 motorway, turning off toward Leighlinbridge and following the valley road south. From Kilkenny, the R702 brings you into the area. On fair day, expect road restrictions and garda checkpoints on the approach roads into the village - follow diversion signs and allow extra time for the journey. Parking fills up early; arriving before 10am gives you the best chance of a spot within easy walking distance of the village centre.
The village is worth more than a morning. Borris House - a Tudor Revival mansion set above the Barrow Valley with views toward Mount Leinster and the Blackstairs Mountains - is a short walk from the main street, and the sixteen-arch viaduct on the outskirts of the village is one of the better short walks in Carlow. There is more to see in Borris and across Co. Carlow.
Heading to Borris Village in Borris? Carlow has plenty more to see. Read the Borris area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.