Exhibit 23.1

                        CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent to the reference to our firm under the captions "Experts", "Summary
Historical Financial Data" and "Selected Historical Financial Data" in Amendment
No. 3 to the Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-65396) and related
Prospectus of Silgan Holdings Inc. for the registration of 4,100,000 shares of
its common stock and to the inclusion and incorporation by reference therein of
our report dated January 30, 2001, except for the last paragraph of Note 3, the
3rd paragraph of Note 8, and the last paragraph of the "Interest Rate Swap
Agreement" section in Note 10, as to which the date is March 26, 2001, with
respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedules of Silgan
Holdings Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended
December 31, 2000, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                        /s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Stamford, Connecticut
August 30, 2001