Mount Leinster
| Mount Leinster | |||
| County Carlow, County Wexford | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Mount Leinster | |||
| Range: | Blackstairs Mountains | ||
| Summit: | 2,612 feet S844528 52°37’16"N, 6°45’11"W | ||
Mount Leinster stands on the border of the counties of Carlow and Wexford, and as the highest point of each, its summit is the county top of both counties, reaching 2,612 feet.
Mount Leinster is not the highest hill in the province whose name it bears (a prize belonging to Lugnaquilla in County Wicklow) but it is the fifth-highest mountain in Leinster. It is the highest of the Blackstairs Mountains. A tall RTÉ television transmitter tops the peak with a mast height of 400 feet.
The TV transmitter site is a popular location for hang-gliding enthusiasts to launch from. In 2003, a hang-glider pilot died from injuries sustained in the crash landing of his flight launched from the mountain.[1] There is a memorial at the peak of the mountain.
Ascent
The mountain is most often climbed from the Nine Stones, a landmark point at the foot of Mount Leinster, about 8 miles east of Borris. From Borris there is a road to a visitor car park on the mountain. From there the steep RTÉ access road leads to the summit. This road is closed to normal traffic and RTÉ have now fenced the transmitter tower off from public access to prevent vandalism.
Cycling
Mount Leinster has been used in stages of the Tour of Ireland and on many occasions in the The FBD Insurance Rás (Rás Tailteann). It may be climbed from the Borris side in County Carlow or the Bunclody side in County Wexford. Ascending from Borris the climb is 7 miles long and has an average gradient of 6.9%. The last mile and a half is very tough, reaching a gradient of almost 16%. Although the climb from Bunclody is slightly longer at 8 miles, its average gradient is 5.9%. The last mile of this climb is difficult with a gradient of 16.3%[2]