Arigna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arigna
An Airgnigh
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Village
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Arigna looking towards Lough Allen
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 Arigna
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Roscommon |
| Elevation | 86 m (282 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | G931142 |
Arigna (Irish: An Airgnigh, formerly Carn an Ailt) is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located near Lough Allen, which is part of the Shannon-Erne Waterway. Arigna is also on a beautiful scenic route between Keadue and Sliabh an Iarainn. The village is part of Kilronan Parish, along with Keadue and Ballyfarnon. Arigna has a long history with coal mining, which took place for over 400 years until the mines closed in 1990.
Contents
What Does the Name Arigna Mean?
The name Arigna is an English version of the Irish name An Airgnigh. This means "the plundering." It was an adjective used to describe the Arigna river, which was known as the "plundering river." The old Gaelic name for Arigna was Carn an Ailt. "Carn" means a "pile of rocks," and "Ailt" means a "steep-sided valley" or "cliff."
Arigna's Coal Mining History
The Arigna Coal Mine was special because its coal was found in very shallow layers. Miners often had to lie on their sides to shovel the coal out. Mining continued until 1990. The coal was first used for ironworks and later for a power plant. When the chimney of the ESB Generating Station was taken down, it marked the end of coal mining in the area.
Early Mining and Ironworks
Mining in Arigna began in the Middle Ages, with iron being dug up here and at Sliabh an Iarainn. In the early 1600s, new ironworks were built in Arigna. They used charcoal made from wood from the nearby forests to melt the iron. However, because no new trees were planted, the wood eventually ran out. This led to the ironworks closing by the end of the 1600s.
About 50 years later, in 1765, people started mining the local coal. Thirty years after that, the ironworks reopened, using coal instead of charcoal. These ironworks were not very successful and finally closed in 1838.
Coal Demand and the Power Station
The need for fuel in Dublin helped the area grow. In the 1790s, coal prices in Dublin were very high, causing problems for people. When the Royal Canal was finished, Arigna coal could be sold in Dublin for a much lower price. This led to new towns and villages, like Drumshanbo, growing in the area.
Coal mining kept going and provided jobs for many people. The coal was used to heat homes and hospitals, and to power steam engines. In 1958, the Arigna 15MW Power Station opened to make electricity. It was the first big power station in Connacht. The station was built to burn the local coal, which had a lot of ash. At its busiest, the power station burned 55,000 tonnes of coal each year and employed 60 people.
The main reason for this power station was to keep jobs in the local mining industry. By the mid-1900s, coal from other countries was much cheaper to mine. The ESB suggested closing the power plant in the 1980s. Without its main buyer, the mine closed in 1990, and the power station officially shut down in 1993.
How Miners Worked in Arigna
Because the coal layers were thin, a special way of mining was used in Arigna. A main tunnel was dug, and from it, smaller tunnels branched out every 5–6 meters. These smaller tunnels followed the coal layers and were quite low. Miners often worked lying on their backs to cut the coal.
These 'Cutters' or 'Brushers' also got the mine ready for the next day and made the tunnels longer using explosives. 'Drawers' filled small carts called hutches and pushed them to the main underground road. Here, the hutches were connected to a rope system that pulled them outside. Sometimes, small diesel trains were used to pull the hutches out. 'Proppers' used wooden pillars to hold up the mine roof.
Life Inside the Mines
Author Brian Leyden wrote about life in the mines in his book, The Home Place. He described the tough conditions miners faced. He said the coal mines were very small compared to those in other countries. Miners often had to lie in water on their backs. They used a handpick or a short shovel to get coal from under a rock ledge.
Leyden also wrote that a religious picture was placed at the mine entrance. Coal-miners would bless themselves there before going underground. Visitors who came to see the mines often found the mine shaft so scary that they never went past the picture.
Visiting the Arigna Mining Experience
The Arigna Mining Experience lets visitors learn about the history of coal mining. It has an exhibition and an optional underground tour. Former miners guide the underground tour and can answer any questions about how coal was mined. The tour is on a flat level and is wheelchair accessible, so there's no need to worry about going deep underground. Visitors get hard hats to protect their heads. Special lighting and sound effects in the mine make the experience feel very real.
In April 2009, a musical show called Scars On the Mountain was launched by RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. It celebrated Arigna's mining history.
Transport Links
Arigna railway station opened on May 2, 1888. It was part of the narrow gauge Cavan and Leitrim Railway. The station finally closed on April 1, 1959.
Notable People from Arigna
- Brian Leyden - A well-known writer and author.
- Packie Duignan - A famous flautist (someone who plays the flute).
- Peter and Mark Keaveney - Hairdressers who started the Peter Mark salon chain.
- Peter Lynch - An Irish politician and senator.
See also
In Spanish: Arigna para niños
