SlieveCoillte Monument

This monument on Slieve Coillte was unveiled on April 26 1998 by the local Comóradh Group as part of the Bicentenary Commemorations. On the top of Slieve Coillte there is a monument that says-"The rebels camped on Slieve Coillte from the 7th to the 10th June 1798. Slieve Coillte was picked because of the excellent view of the other camps in Wexford such as Lacken Hill,Carrigbyrne Hill, Forth Mountain and Oulart Hill. After the Battle of Ross on June 5th 1798, which the rebels lost, they moved to a camp on Slieve Coillte from Carrigbyrne Hill.The headquarters of the rebels was Ballysop House. Lookouts were posted on top of Sliabh Coillte to watch the River Barrow and the road for the enemy. The rebels camped on Sliabh Coillte,on its side and around Ballysop House. He also took the horse and guns from Miles Doyle of Arnestown as the rebels were short of firepower.

Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey,who was leader of the Southern Army, resigned at Sliabh Coillte. It was revenge for the rebel defeat at Ross. Others say Harvey proved to be a poor leader at the Battle of Ross and blamed him for their defeat. Fr.Philip Roche, who was a curate in Poulpeasty, took over as Commander of the rebels on Sliabh Coillte. He often said mass for the rebel army and gave them scapulars. The rebels stayed on Sliabh Coillte from 7th to the 10th June.

While camped on Sliabh Coillte, the rebels noticed three English gunboats sailing down the Barrow. Thomas Cloney from Moneyhore and some rebels attacked the boats. They found no guns or ammunition but letters dispatches (messages) saying how they had the rebels defeated in every battle. Some rebels read about their own deaths, to their great amusement. After Sliabh Coillte the rebels moved to Lacken Hill to plan a second attack on New Ross. The letter reads as follows:

"Revd.Sir, You are hereby ordered in conjunction with Edmund Walsh to order all your parishioners to the camp on Lacken Hill under pain of the must severe punishment ; Harvey replied that he could scarcely protect himself and had little control of the rebels since the defeat at Ross and the shooting of Matthew Furlong with a flag of peace.One of the protestants shot at the massacre in Scullabogue after the Battle of Ross on June 5th, was a Philip Hornick who was a steward to John Glascott of Alderton.

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