Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill was an ancestor from which the principal family of Brega, Ó Maoilsheachlainn, is descended.

Dunshaughlin (or more specifically, the townland of Lagore) is famous for an ancient crannóg or settlement from the 7th century where a number of Irish antiquities were discovered.

During the famine period, in the mid-1840s, elements of the workhouse were converted to accommodate additional inmates, and a burial ground was located to the rear.

After the workhouse system was abolished in 1922, following the conclusion of the war and the establishment of the Irish Free State, the facility served as a school, courthouse, and factory (among other things).

[5] Several housing estates centre on the main street, with multiple retail units consisting of newsagents, pubs, takeaway food outlets, clothing stores, and banks.

[12] Dunshaughlin houses a number of public amenities, including a library, a health centre, and the Meath County Council civic offices.

[14] Gaelscoil na Ríthe (an Irish medium school) was established in 1985 by a group of parents from the Dunshaughlin, Drumree, and Culmullen areas.

[15] Dunshaughlin Community College (DCC), established in 1933, is a co-educational school which is part of the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board.

The local soccer club, Dunshaughlin Youths,[18] fields teams in the North Dublin Schoolboy's League.

Around 3 km (1.9 mi) outside the village, a new golfing resort designed by Jack Nicklaus has been created at Killeen Castle.