Slievecoiltia [Sliabh Coltair]

About Slievecoiltia [Sliabh Coltair]

Rising sharply above the JFK Arboretum near New Ross, this prominent Wexford Marilyn offers an effortless ascent via a narrow road. Despite its modest height, the summit feels expansive, dominated by a 1798 memorial cross and communication masts, providing a commanding vantage point over the Barrow estuary and the Blackstairs Mountains.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Sliabh Coltair, which translates as 'Hill of the Coulter', likely referring to its resemblance to the blade of a traditional plough as seen from the surrounding plains.
• •In June 1798, the hill served as a strategic camp for several thousand United Irishmen during the Rebellion, shortly before they launched their assault on the nearby town of New Ross.
• •From the summit, you can trace the meeting of the River Nore and River Barrow at Cheekpoint, with the long, low line of the Hook Peninsula stretching towards the Celtic Sea to the south.
• •While many hills of this height are hidden by forestry, Slievecoiltia is easily identified by the tall communication masts and the large stone cross erected to commemorate the bicentenary of the 1798 rising.
• •As a narrow tarred road leads directly to the masts at the summit, it is one of the few Marilyns in Ireland where the most significant hazard to a hillwalker is an oncoming family hatchback.