White Mountain

About White Mountain

Marking the northern end of the Blackstairs range on the Carlow-Wexford border, this broad, heather-clad dome offers a quieter alternative to neighbouring Mount Leinster. The ascent provides expansive views across the Barrow Valley and towards the Irish Sea, culminating at a summit cairn set within an airy, windswept plateau.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name is a translation of the Irish Sliabh Bán. Unlike the quartz-capped 'White Mountains' of western Ireland, the name here likely refers to the pale appearance of the mountain's grasses or bog cotton during specific seasons.
• •The summit serves as the northern anchor of the Blackstairs Mountains. It is frequently used as the starting point for the 'Blackstairs Walk', a challenging 28km ridge traverse that heads south towards the Scullogue Gap.
• •From the summit cairn, the views to the south are dominated by the massive telecommunications mast atop Mount Leinster, while looking northwest provides a clear vista of the fertile Carlow plains and the distant Killeshin Hills.
• •Despite its modest height, the peak is a Hump (a hill with a prominence of at least 100 metres), meaning it feels like a distinct, standalone climb rather than just a shoulder of the higher ground to the south.