The Wellington Monument is an early 19th century folly situated in the former Kilcooley Demense on one of the peaks of the Slieveardagh Hills which straddle the Tipperary and Kilkenny border. It was erected by Sir William Barker in 1817 the then landlord of the Kilcooley estate. The tower was built to commemorate the victory of the Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley at the Battle of Waterloo two years previously in 1815. Monuments had been built throughout the then British Empire to commemorate the victory over Napoleon. The tower itself is somewhat of an illusion as it gives the appearance of a square tower when viewed from the south and west however on its north and east side no walls other than low bracing walls exist. The tower has attractive pointed arch door and window niches with dressed limestone arches, there are nice Greek cross loops higher up on the building to give the impression of a defensive tower. The top of the tower can now be accessed via a recently (2010s) installed spiral staircase and gives an impressive panorama over the local countryside with local places of interest detailed from its viewing point.
GPS: 52.66385, -7.52872