Slievebawn [Sliabh Ban]

About Slievebawn [Sliabh Ban]

Rising quietly south of the Mount Leinster massif on the Carlow-Wexford border, this heathery Tump offers a tranquil alternative to its busier neighbours. The ascent involves navigating typical Blackstairs terrain of thick gorse and peat. Reaching the summit rewards walkers with clear, uninterrupted perspectives across the fertile Barrow Valley to the west.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name is an anglicisation of the Irish Sliabh Bán, meaning 'White Mountain', likely referring to the pale appearance of weathered granite or light-coloured moorland grasses found across the summit plateau.
• •Positioned in the southern section of the Blackstairs Mountains, the hill provides an excellent vantage point for looking north towards the prominent television transmitter atop Mount Leinster.
• •The summit offers a distinct, wide-angle view of the winding River Barrow as it marks the county boundary between Carlow and Kilkenny to the west.
• •Its status as a Tump makes it a steady inclusion for hikers following the long ridgeline between Scullogue Gap and Corrabut Gap.
• •Despite being named the 'White Mountain', most visitors will find it predominantly green, brown, or—if the weather has turned—shrouded in a very un-white shade of Atlantic grey.