The St Johnstownborough constituency in the Irish House of Commons was nominally representative of the town. In 1833, the Commissioners appointed by the UK Parliament to inquire into municipal corporations in Ireland reported that the corporation of the borough was "virtually extinct". The 1846 Parliamentary Gazetteer records: Antoine Ó Raifteiri's poem "The Lass From Bally-na-Lee" references the town. In 1798, the town was the scene of a massacre of Irish prisoners of war after the Battle of Ballinamuck in a field now called Bully's Acre. During the Irish War of Independence, the town was the scene of the Battle of Ballinalee, where local leader Sean Mac Eoin was the leader of a well-equipped battalion of 300 men. They held off 900 members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and British Army for three days. It was the only successful defence of an Irish town against the British forces. Within the parish is the ruins of Old Clonbroney; it was reportedly the home of the first convent in Ireland, which was founded by St Patrick around 440 AD. There are two lakes in the parish. Corbeagh lake, or Currygrane Lough, is situated in the middle of the parish and is located within the townlands of Drumeel Corbeagh and Currygrane. It has four small islands on it and one, called "Round Island," is thought to be a Crannog or ancient settlement. The other lake is called Gurteen and is situated near the village and adjacent to the Maguire Park. Henry Hughes Wilson was born in the area in 1864, and would become the British Chief of the Imperial General Staff before his assassination by Irish Republicans. He was born in Currygrane near the village. Between 30 and 31 January 1953, a riot took place at the post office. The position of postmistress was re-appointed due to unscrupulous business activities. Sean Mac Eoin TD Fine Gael supported the position of the former post mistress. A riot ensued also in support, causing damage and assault to the family and home of the newly appointed post mistress.
Transport
Donnelly's Pioneer Bus Service, a longstanding local bus company based in Granard, operate a route from Granard to Longford via Ballinalee. There are three journeys each way daily
Sport
The village has a strong tradition in the Gaelic Athletic Association sport of Gaelic football. The name of the local team is "Sean Connolly's". The Club is named after Sean Connolly, the Irish freedom fighter who was born near the pitch in the townland. France Connolly was shot in an ambush at Selton Hill, Co Leitrim in 1921. Their grounds, James McGuire Park, are located on France Road. The club grounds also hosts an 18-hole Pitch-and-Putt course, which is known as "The Acres" and a Basketball and Tennis Court concrete walkway, as well as gymnasium and meeting room. The underage section of the club goes under the name of the parish, Clonbroney. The club won the Senior Football Championship for the only time in 1917. Community Games and soccer are also participated in at parish level.
