Stylish Silage and Amazing Arigna

I had a free morning on Sunday so I took a spin to Drumshanbo in Leitrim. I’d seen some ‘stylish silage’ pics on Social Media and they looked brilliant so I had to go and see for myself.

The Stylish Silage is part of the An Tostal Festival which takes part this week in Drumshanbo, it’s well worth a look for the silage along. There are also lots of other activities including gin tasting…and the one that made me chuckle – The Fittest Feckers Competition! You can read all about it here.

Also if you are in Drumshanbo do check out the floating boardwalk on Acres Lake, it’s an inspired idea – perfect if you’ve ever wanted to walk on water.

After Drumshanbo I went to The Arigna Mining Experience, I haven’t been there in years and last time I wasn’t really into photography so it was great to go back. The mine shut down in 1990 and the miners that used to work there now run the guided tours.

The tour guide when I was there was Michael Earley, he was telling us what life down the mine used to be like and it sounded like very tough work. He told us the men who lived in Arigna didn’t have much of a choice though; it was either go down the mine or emigrate.

We were lucky as there are lights there now and we could walk through it (it’s wheelchair accessible by the way) when the mine was in operation the men had to crawl through it and it was pitch black.

Michael said he enjoyed the work though and that all the men who worked down the mines were hardworking and honest. It’s well worth a visit though and check out Ange’s Tearoom afterwards. I had a lovely cuppa and a scone looking over Arigna – I resisted temptation of the chocolate cake.