Slieve Coillte
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2019) |
Slieve Coillte (Irish: Sliabh Coiltair) or Mountain of Coltar is a hill in the south of County Wexford, Ireland. The hill is the highest point on the Hook peninsula, with an elevation of 268.5 metres (881 ft).[1]
Villages around Slieve Coillte include New Ross, Slaught, Cassagh, Gusserane, Campile, Ramsgrange and Duncannon. On a good day the whole of the Hook peninsula can be overseen, up to the Hook lighthouse on Hook Head, the oldest operational lighthouse in Europe.
Hillwalking
Slieve Coillte is popular with hillwalkers, with thousands of people climbing the mountain every year. A 3 km road leads to a viepoint on the summit. The road is accessible by car, so the view from Slieve Coillte can also be enjoyed without a walk to the top.
On the south side of the hill is the John F.Kennedy Arboretum with approximately 4,500 species of trees and shrubs on 620 acres.
Mythology
Slieve Coillte appears in Irish mythology. The hill outside New Ross is Ireland's Mount Ararat where the first invasion of Ireland took place in 2242 B.C. when Cessair the granddaughter of Noah, escaping the flood, made the first incursion or invasion into Ireland.[2]
References
- ^ "Slievecoiltia". Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- ^ "Sliabh Coillte's hidden history revealed at talk". 2011-08-30. Retrieved 2019-08-09.