Gardai are investigating a series of dangerous and reckless manouevers around the famed 1798 Tulach a’ t-Solais monument at Oulart Hill that were discovered on New Year’s Day and local sources have expressed “ sadness and disappointment at the damage done.”
On social media, the local Oulart Hill website are concerned about the damage caused by “young men who seem to have completely lost the run of themselves and drove their machines all over the grounds and over the Tulach itself – at very considerable risk to themselves.”
The damage seems to have been done a four-wheel motor vehicle capable of climbing the Tulach.
The perpetrators repeatedly went up and down the Tulach tearing up chunks of soil like a plough as the drawbar dropped when the nose of the vehicle rose in the ascent.
They then made a speed track of the surrounding lawn not caring about the damage visibly increasing under their eyes.

Damage on Oulart Hill

Local volunteers have already began some basic repairs such as replacing some of the sods torn out by the spinning of wheels.
There were a number of New Year’s Day visitors to the monument who were disgusted to see Tulach a’ tSolais – a monument to the men and women of 1798 – our own people – desecrated in this way by such a witless, immature prank that diminishes us all.
One local person said; “Such behaviour is not just disrespectful, it is dangerous too and to avoid anything worse happening in terms of injury or death by accident due to such immaturity we have no option but to close access from the car park to the monument to vehicles of all kinds for the present.”
In January 2001, Coillte was approached by Brian O’ Cleirigh, Chairman of Tulach a’ tSolais, to see if we would be involved in the formation of a memorial park on Oulart Hill.
Coillte were very interested and so a meeting was convened between Coillte Management, Brian O’Cleirigh and Minister Hugh Byrne T.D. to see what arrangements could be made to bring this project to fruition.
The outcome was that Coillte agreed to design a woodland park which would represent the aspirations of the local historical group Oulart Hill Co-op.
Coillte has owned a 12-hectare conifer forest on Oulart Hill since 1952 and the new project – to be known as Coillte ’98 was designed to bring colour and variety to the hill and significantly enhance its commemorative and amenity status.
Tulach a’ t-Solais (the mound of light) was designed by Gorey sculpture Michael Warren and Dr Ronald Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker, Dublin, and was opened in 1999.