History of Arigna Mines
The Arigna area has a long tradition of mining which dates back to the 1600s when Charles Coote established iron works at Crevelea and Arigna. Charcoal, made from local timber, was used in the smelting process; however, as local timber supplies reduced, it was necessary to find an alternative fuel. It was through this search that coal was discovered in the area. In 1788 the O’Reilly brothers founded an iron foundry where, for the first time in Ireland, coal was used in the smelting process.
Iron mining actually turned out to be less than successful in Arigna and, following many attempts to salvage it, the iron works closed permanently in 1838. Coal mining, however, continued to provide employment in Arigna. In fact, Arigna became a relatively affluent area through times of extreme poverty elsewhere, because of the constant availability of employment for all the men of the area and indeed surrounding areas.
When the O Reilly brothers went bankrupt the iron works were managed by operators including the Arigna Iron and Coal Joint Stock Company. The Tenison family arrived in North Connacht in the 18th century and owned extensive mining rights across North Roscommon. In addition to the Tenisons a number of local families and companies played an important role in the coal mining industry. Over the next 150 years coal was used to heat homes and hospitals, and to power steam engines.
The ESB opened the Arigna Power Station in 1958, the first major power generating station in Connacht. By this period the supply of top grade coal in Arigna was used and he station was built specifically to burn the semi bituminous coal with its high ash content. At its height, the power station burned 55,000 tons of coal annually and employed 60 people directly. However, from the outset, one of the primary reasons behind its construction was to secure hundreds of jobs in the local mining industry. By the 1970’s 65% of the coal mined in Arigna was burned at the Power Station.
