Tara Hill, County Wexford

Not to be confused with Hill of Tara.

Tara Hill
Torrchoill
Tara Hill, from the northwest
Highest point
Elevation	253 m (830 ft) [1]
Prominence	198 m (650 ft) [1]
Listing	Marilyn
Coordinates	52°41′56″N6°13′04″W / 52.699°N 6.2177°W / 52.699; -6.2177
Geography
Tara Hill Location in Ireland
Location	County Wexford, Ireland
OSI/OSNI grid	T205623
Topo map	OSi Discovery 62

Tara Hill (Irish : Torrchoill) ^[2] is an isolated hill and associated village near the Irish Sea coast in north County Wexford, Ireland. Though only 253 metres (830 feet) high, it dominates the landscape of northeast Wexford. It overlooks the Wexford coast line, from Courtown harbour to Castletown.

Geography

Tara Hill is situated at a particularly high point along the south east coast of Ireland and is surrounded by flat residential and agricultural land. Due to its height relative to the surrounding landscape, this hill qualifies as a Marilyn. It should not be confused with the much better known but much less prominent Royal Hill of Tara in County Meath, which is only 159m high.

The summit is marked by a cairn from where one can see nearby Gorey, Courtown and other villages and townlands and views of the North Wexford coast. Though only 253 metres high, it dominates the landscape of northeast Wexford and can be seen from Gorey town centre, which is approximately 7.1 km away.^{[ citation needed ]}

There is a small settlement on the hill.

History

Saint Caemhan or Kevin or Cavan, as the name is variously spelt, is the patron saint of Tara Hill. The site of the old church, reputedly founded by Kevin, is situated at Kilcavan at the north side of the hill under a cliff by the road. ^[3]

In 2009, the community in Tara Hill and Ballymoney announced plans to produce a new book on the social history of the area. A 'Minding Memories' night was held in Tara Hill in which locals recorded their memories of the area. ^[4]

Amenities

While not considered a village, Tara Hill is home to a church and a primary school (St Kevins) and a number of businesses.^{[ citation needed ]} The closest villages to Tara Hill are Castletown, Ballymoney and Courtown. Nearby Gorey serves as a market town for the area.^{[ citation needed ]}

Tara Hill has two main walking trails around the Marilyn starting close to the village centre. The area is linked to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network from Gorey connects it to Rosslare Europort.^{[ citation needed ]}

St. Kevins Catholic church is located at Kilcavan Lower townland in Tara Hill. The local national (primary) school, St. Kevin's National School, is also named for St. Kevin.^{[ citation needed ]}

Tourism

There are a number of bed-and-breakfast (B&B) businesses in the area. Seafield Hotel & Spa Resort, in nearby Ballymoney, also serves tourists staying in the local area. The area has a number of beaches, including Clone Strand and nearby Ballymoney Beach. There are two trails on Tara Hill, starting from two different trailheads (Crab Tree – Blue and Cemetery – Red). The Red Slí an tSuaimhnais trail begins from Tara Hill cemetery just beyond the village itself. The Blue Slí na n-Óg trail, beginning from the Ballinacarrig parking place (known locally as the Crab Tree) goes to the higher slopes of Tara Hill itself. ^[5]

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club, Castletown Liam Mellows GAA, is located on the border between Tara Hill and Castletown townland.^{[ citation needed ]}

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

1. "North Wexford Area - Tara Hill". MountainViews. Ordnance Survey Ireland . Retrieved 2 July 2015.
2. "Torchoill / Tara Hill". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
3. "North Wexford Tourism - Market House, Main Street, Gorey, Co.Wexford, Ireland". Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
4. "Book being compiled on social history of Tara Hill". 4 March 2009.
5. "Walking Routes - Tara Hill". walking routes.ie. Retrieved 27 May 2018.