Miners Way – Arigna's coal-country loop

Overview

The Miners Way and Historical Trail is a way-marked figure-of-eight across the western heartland of Ireland. Official sources put the core route at 118 km; add the adjoining road sections and many walkers clock up 144.6 km. You can start at Arigna, Boyle or Dowra, and the full loop typically takes five to six days. It splits into 13 staged walks, often grouped into six longer stages, so you can cut it to your own pace.

One honest caveat before you commit: roughly 60 km of the route, about half, is on tarmac. The scenery is genuine, but this is not a wilderness trek.

The trail skirts three loughs – Lough Allen, Lough Arrow and Lough Key – and climbs Corry Mountain, the Curlew Mountains and the Bricklieve Mountains. The backdrop shifts between open moorland, quiet tarmac, forest track and lakeside path.

History

The name comes from the Arigna coal mines, worked from the mid-1700s until they closed in 1990, after more than four centuries of coal and iron. When they shut, the community feared losing both its identity and its visitors. A local priest, Father Sean Tynan, came up with the idea of a walking corridor to mark the mining legacy and open up the surrounding country.

European Regional Development Fund money paid for the trail, and the broadcaster Donncha Ó Dúlaing opened it in July 2000. It is a National Waymarked Trail, jointly managed by the Roscommon Integrated Development Company and the Roscommon, Leitrim and Sligo county councils.

The route also runs past a remarkable concentration of Neolithic passage tombs, chiefly the Carrowkeel complex on the Bricklieve Mountains, plus Heapstown Cairn and Labby Rock. It follows the historic Red Earls road and the site of the 1599 Battle of the Curlews, and skirts the wind farm on Carrane Hill.

What to see and do

Mining heritage

• Arigna Mining Experience – The visitor centre (opened 2003) runs a 45-minute underground tour led by former miners, with exhibits, recorded interviews and a café looking out to Kilronan Mountain. Open daily 10am–5pm, adult admission €15, free parking, wheelchair-accessible facilities. This is the single stop to make if you only have an afternoon.
• Old miner pathways – Much of the trail follows the footpaths the miners walked daily.

Ancient monuments

• Carrowkeel passage tombs – Fourteen Neolithic cairns on the Bricklieve Mountains, older than Newgrange.
• Heapstown Cairn and Labby Rock – Two of Ireland’s largest megalithic monuments, between Castlebaldwin and Highwood.
• Knockranny Court Tomb – A court tomb dating from 3500–2000 BC, near the Lough Meelagh section.

Natural highlights

• Lough Key Forest and Activity Park – A 350-hectare estate of 19th-century parkland with redwood groves, a viewing tower, a zip-line canopy walk and short trails that cross the route. Parking €4, with toilets, café and an information desk.
• Scardan Waterfall – A cascade on the River Boyle, off a short forest trail.
• Devil’s Bite – A U-shaped valley on the Bricklieve Mountains.
• Knockvicar Organic Garden – A community garden with polytunnels, fruit trees and a small café, a good place to stop.
• Fairy Bridge (1826) – A stone bridge in Lough Key Forest Park, much photographed by walkers.

Cultural stops

• Boyle Abbey – A well-preserved 12th-century Cistercian monastery with modest admission and guided tours.
• King House, Boyle – A restored Georgian mansion, now a museum and arts venue.
• Gunpowder Gin Distillery, Drumshanbo – A small gin producer offering tastings by appointment.
• Moorings Restaurant, Knockvicar – A lakeside spot overlooking Lough Key, good after a day’s walking.

Practical information

Getting there and transport

• Start points – Arigna (closest to the mining heritage), Boyle (best bus links) or Dowra (the Leitrim Way junction). All are reached by car off the N4.
• Parking – Free at the Arigna Mining Experience; €4 at the Lough Key visitor centre. Most villages have limited roadside parking.
• Public transport – Buses are sparse. The nearest regular service is Bus Éireann to Boyle; for the other start points you’ll likely need a car or a taxi drop-off.

Accommodation and facilities

• B&Bs and guesthouses – Each of the 13 stages ends near a village with somewhere to stay (Arigna, Keadue, Drumshanbo, Boyle, Castlebaldwin, Ballyfarnon).
• Camping – Wild camping is permitted on open land with the landowner’s permission; there is a small caravan park inside Lough Key Forest Park.
• Refreshments – Shops, cafés and pubs in the larger settlements. Carry water and snacks for the remote boggy stretches of the Bricklieve and Curlew Mountains.
• Toilets – At the Lough Key visitor centre, the Arigna Mining Experience and most villages.

Waymarking and navigation

Follow the yellow arrow on a black background. Signage is generally good, but a few sections near Arigna can be confusing, so keep a paper map or the official PDF guides as a backup. The trail is on OSI Discovery Series sheets 25, 26 and 33, and a dedicated EastWest Mapping guide covers the route in detail.

Dogs

Generally not permitted on farmland and heritage sections. The exception is the Coillte stretch from Knockvicar through the bog and the Organic Garden loop, where dogs are allowed under effective control. Much of the route crosses active sheep-farming land, so use the stiles and keep gates closed.

Seasonal tips and wildlife

Walkable year-round, but expect changeable weather and boggy ground in winter. Midges can be heavy in June and July; bring repellent. Spring brings wildflowers on the slopes, autumn the colour around the loughs.

Suggested itinerary

Many walkers split the longer stages into shorter day-hikes.

Further resources

• Official website: https://minerswayandhistoricaltrail.ie/ (maps, GPX files, waymark updates)
• Sport Ireland page: https://www.sportireland.ie/outdoors/walking/trails/miners-way-historical-trail-sli-an-mhianadora-conair-stairiuil