Arigna

united kingdom

Arigna is a former mining village perched in the Roscommon hills near the Leitrim border, with grand views over Lough Allen. The main route from Dublin runs 160km via the N4 to Carrick-on-Shannon, then the R280 north. From Sligo it's about 30km via the N16 to Manorhamilton and local roads, while Galway drivers cover 90km through Tubbercurry on the N17 and R294. The roads get narrow as you approach the village. Electric car drivers should charge up in Carrick-on-Shannon beforehand. The big draw is the Arigna Mining Experience, set in Ireland's last working coal mine that closed in 1990, where you can go down into the actual workings and see how miners lived for over 400 years.