Ireland's last working coal mine, reopened as a visitor attraction where former miners lead you 45 minutes underground through the same seams they once worked. Above ground, a free exhibition, café and gift shop sit in a building shaped like a colliery slack heap, with views over Lough Allen.
A 45-minute guided walk into the mine with an ex-miner as guide, past narrow coal seams to the coal face, with lighting and sound effects and the drip of groundwater. Helmets and hygiene caps are provided, and it stays a constant 10°C, so wear a warm jacket and comfortable shoes. The route is step-free and accessible for wheelchairs, buggies and prams.
Free entry with no booking needed: 400 years of Arigna mining life told through documents, photographs, original tools, helmets and machinery, first-hand audio stories from miners and footage filmed weeks before the 1990 closure. The original control panel from the Lough Allen Power Station is also on display.
The centre is designed to look like the slack heap of a working mine, set high in the Leitrim/Roscommon hills. Visitors repeatedly single out the view over Lough Allen and the outdoor seating as a reason to linger after the tour.
The 60-seat café opens 10am to 4pm daily with a full Irish breakfast, soups, toasties, burgers and chips, plus kids' options; lunch specials change and are posted on social media. The gift shop sells mining-history books, Irish crafts and locally made products.
Tailored guided tours are offered for school and university groups, corporate outings, clubs and special occasions, for groups of any size — book by enquiry.
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