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Arigna —County Roscommon

Arigna was, until its recent close-down, Ireland's only coal-mining centre. Arigna Valley is green and beautiful, and not in any way the kind of bleak and dusty place one associates with coal mining.
A long, winding and wandering tour route, the Arigna Scenic Drive is signposted with brown notices bearing the word, Sli, meaning route. Although the road is narrow, the trip over the mountains is rewarding for the wilderness and beauty of the scenery.
Arigna is home to the Arigna Mining Experience, Ireland's first coal mining museum. The exhibition traces 400 years of mining and all tour guides are ex-miners, ensuring that they can relate a history of a life that no longer exists in a way which is interesting and educational for all ages.