Arigna is an Irish community situated at the foothills of Kilronan mountain beside Lough Allen, the uppermost lake on the Shannon. On the other side of the Arigna valley is Slieve Aniarainn mountain. In the eighteen hundreds iron ore was mined and smelted on Slieve Aniarainn (Iron Mountain in Gaelic). This was done using charcoal made from trees. Unfortunately the trees ran out and probably through despairation coal was discovered in Arigna. As this coal was on the opposite side of the lake to the iron and transport comprised mostly of donkeys and carts there was in incentive to search for iron on the Arigna side This search proved fruitful and as a result iron production moved to Arigna.

Eventually iron ran out in Arigna and the valley ended up producing coal exclusively. During the 2nd world war its contribution became invaluable and steam trains brought and used the coal from Arigna. In the late fifties as steam power became obsolete a power station was built by the state power company. Coal was taken from the mines mainly for the power station and some commercial and some domestic heating until 1990. Work in the mines during the 1980's is depicted in the pictures on this site.