| Slievenamon | |
|---|---|
| Slievenaman | |
 Slievenamon viewed from the northeast | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 721 m (2,365 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 711 m (2,333 ft)[1] |
| Listing | P600,Marilyn,Hewitt |
| Coordinates | 52°25′48″N7°33′47″W / 52.430°N 7.563°W /52.430; -7.563 |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Sliabh na mBan (Irish) |
| English translation | "mountain of the women" |
| Pronunciation | Irish:[ˈʃlʲiəwn̪ˠəˈmˠanˠ] |
| Geography | |
  Slievenamon Location in Ireland | |
| Location | County Tipperary,Ireland |
| OSI/OSNI grid | S297307 |
| Topo map | OSiDiscovery 67 |
Slievenamon orSlievenaman (Irish:Sliabh na mBan[ˈʃl̠ʲiəw n̪ˠə ˈmˠanˠ], "mountain of the women")[1] is a mountain with a height of 721 metres (2,365 ft) inCounty Tipperary, Ireland. It rises from a plain that includes the towns ofFethard,Clonmel andCarrick-on-Suir. The mountain is steeped in folklore and is associated withFionn mac Cumhaill. On its summit are the remains of ancient burialcairns, which were seen as portals to theOtherworld. Much of Slievenamon's lower slopes are wooded, and formerly most of the mountain was covered in woodland.[2] A low hill attached to it, Carrigmaclear, was the site of a battle during theIrish Rebellion of 1798.
There are at least four prehistoric monuments on Slievenamon. On the summit is an ancient burial cairn, with a natural rocky outcrop on its east side forming the appearance of a doorway. The remains of acursus or ceremonialavenue leads up to the cairn from the east. On the mountain's northeastern shoulder, Sheegouna, is another burial cairn and a ruinedmegalithic tomb.[3]
The origin of the mountain's name is explained inIrish mythology. According to the tale, the heroFionn mac Cumhaill was sought after by many young women. Fionn stood atop the mountain and declared that whichever woman won a footrace to the top would be his wife. Since Fionn andGráinne were in love, he had shown her a short-cut and she duly won the race.[1][4] The mountain was also known by the longer nameSliabh na mBan bhFionn, "mountain of the fair women". Another local explanation of the name is that from a distance and the right angle, the hill resembles a woman lying on her back.
The plain from which the mountain rises was known in Old Irish asMag Femin (modern IrishMagh Feimhin, or Má Feimhin) or the Plain of Femen.[1] The burial cairns on the mountain are calledSíd ar Femin (Sí ar Feimhin, the "fairy mound over Femen") andSí Ghamhnaí ("fairy mound of the calves"). They were seen as the abodes of gods and entrances to theOtherworld.[2] Irish folklore holds that it is bad luck to damage or disrespect such tombs and that deliberately doing so could bring acurse.[5][6]
In Irish mythology, one of the burial cairns is said to be the abode of the godBodhbh Dearg, son ofthe Dagda.[7] Fionn marriesSadhbh, Bodhbh's daughter, on Slievenamon, and their son is the famousOisín.
In one tale, Fionn and his men are cooking a pig on the banks of theRiver Suir when an Otherworld being called Cúldubh comes out of the cairn on Slievenamon and snatches it. Fionn chases Cúldubh and kills him with a spear throw as he re-enters the cairn. An Otherworld woman inside tries to shut the door, but Fionn's thumb is caught between the door and the post, and he puts it in his mouth to ease the pain. As his thumb had been inside the Otherworld, Fionn is bestowed with great wisdom. This tale may refer to gaining knowledge from the ancestors, and is similar to the tale of theSalmon of Knowledge.[8]
InAcallam na Senórach (Dialogue of the Elders), Fionn,Caílte and other members of thefianna chase a fawn to Slievenamon. They come upon a great illuminated hall orbrugh, and inside they are welcomed by warriors and maidens of the Otherworld. Their host,Donn son ofMidir, reveals that the fawn was one of the maidens, sent to draw them to Slievenamon. The fianna agree to help Donn in a battle against another group of theTuatha Dé Danann. After a lengthy battle, Fionn compels their foes to make peace, and they return to this world.[9]
The songSlievenamon, written in the mid 19th century by revolutionary and poetCharles Kickham, is a well-known patriotic and romantic song about an exile who longs to see "our flag unrolled and my true love to unfold / in the valley near Slievenamon". It is regarded as the unofficial "county anthem" of County Tipperary, regularly sung by crowds at sporting events.[10]
The mountain appears in the fairytaleThe Horned Woman as found inCeltic Fairy Tales (1892, byJoseph Jacobs) (used by Jacobs with permission by Lady Wilde from her "Ancient Legends of Ireland" (1887)), where it is the abode of awitches' coven. It is also mentioned in the booksThe Hidden Side of Things (1913) andThe Lives of Alcyone (1924, withAnnie Besant) written by the theosophistclairvoyantCharles Webster Leadbeater.[citation needed]. The mountain is referred to as Slieve-na-Mon in a fairy tale called "The Giant and the Birds" from "The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said" by Padraic Colum (1918). In it, Big Man chases a deer into a cave and falls asleep for 200 years to awaken in a time when he is a giant among men.
Upon creation of theIrish Free State, the nameSlievenamon was unofficially given to one of the 13armouredRolls-Royce motor cars which were handed over to the new Free State army by the outgoing administration.Slievenamon was escorting the army's commander-in-chief,Michael Collins, when he was ambushed and killed nearBéal na Bláth.[11] The car, since renamed to the IrishSliabh na mBan, has been preserved by the IrishDefence Forces.[citation needed]
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