Slievenamon [Sliabh na mBan]

About Slievenamon [Sliabh na mBan]

Rising prominently above the South Tipperary landscape, this iconic Marilyn offers a steady, heather-clad ascent from the village of Kilcash. Its isolated position makes it a landmark for miles. The broad summit is crowned by an ancient cairn, rewarding climbers with an expansive panorama stretching across the Suir Valley to the distant Galtee Mountains.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Sliabh na mBan translates to 'Mountain of the Women.' According to legend, Fionn mac Cumhaill stood at the summit and announced that whichever woman won a race to the top would become his wife. He secretly showed a shortcut to Gráinne, ensuring her victory.
• •The summit is home to a significant Neolithic passage tomb, known locally as the 'Rock of the Sidhe' or 'The Fairy Castle.' This ancient structure marks the hill as a site of ritual importance dating back thousands of years.
• •Due to its isolation from other major ranges, the peak serves as an exceptional vantage point. To the south, the plateau-like ridges of the Comeraghs are visible, while to the southwest, the sharper silhouettes of the Knockmealdowns and the Galtees dominate the horizon.
• •The mountain is the subject of one of Ireland's most famous songs, 'Slievenamon,' written by the revolutionary and novelist Charles Kickham. The song has become the unofficial anthem of County Tipperary.
• •The 18th-century Protestant churchman and scholar, Thomas Campbell, noted that the mountain was once a site for Lughnasadh festivals, where locals would gather on the slopes to celebrate the harvest with music and games.
• •While the ascent from the south is relatively straightforward, the mountain is notorious for its series of false summits; it is a local tradition to believe you are 'nearly there' at least three times before the actual cairn finally appears.