Explore Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon
The far north of County Roscommon stretches up to Lough Allen where gentle farmland ascends to the moors and lakes of the Arigna Mountains. Albeit small-scale, this was once one of the few areas of Ireland to play a role in the Industrial Revolution, based first on iron extraction for a fifty-year period after 1788 – the local ironworks forged pikes in preparation for the 1798 Rebellion – and, subsequently, coal, which was worked here until 1990. The Arigna Miners Way is a waymarked 120-kilometre walking trail through the area, linking up with both the Leitrim Way and a historical trail taking in Boyle and parts of Sligo. Nearby, the appealing village of Keadue is worth a visit for its musical heritage.
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Arigna Mining Experience
Arigna Mining Experience
From the dusty village of Arigna itself, a little further north, a winding lane leads a couple of kilometres upwards, past a smokeless fuel plant, to the Arigna Mining Experience. Perched high on a hilltop and commanding stunning views of Lough Allen and the surrounding countryside, this brilliantly designed and utterly enthralling museum is based around one of the last working pits in the area. The history of local coal mining is well documented in the reception area, but, once equipped with hard hat, it’s the forty-minute tours of the mine that are most informative and thought provoking. Led by ex-miners, these are rich in anecdote and thoroughly explore both the industry’s nature itself and the atrocious and exploitative working conditions the miners endured. The tour is packed with atmosphere: the tunnels are dark and foreboding, and the sound of dripping water and footsteps amplified by the acoustics. Especially astonishing was the ability of the miners to squeeze themselves into the tightest of seams in the quest for coal.
