Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil
Long Distance Waymarked Way · Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo
Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil is a 144.6 km strenuous waymarked loop in Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo, starting near Keadew.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | 5 days |
Getting there
Starts at Arigna, near Keadew.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 54.07591, -8.11
- Irish Grid reference
- G 928 141
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 25, 26 and 33
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
Public transport
At Start: None. At End: Very limited bus service Check with Bus Eireann.
About the trail
The Arigna Mines in County Roscommon in the north midlands of Ireland were exploited for over four hundred years to extract iron and coal. The village of Arigna was the centre of the industry, and the Miner's Way and Historical Trail is a 118km-long figure-of-eight walking route that starts and ends at Arigna. The route is a varied one that manages to touch on three lakes, Lough Allen, Lough Arrow and Lough Key and crosses three low mountain ranges, Corry Mountain, the Curlew Mountains and the Bricklieve Mountains. Other attractions that may tempt walkers to linger along the way include the Arigna Mining Experience, an interpretative centre for the mines and their history, the 12th century Cistercian Boyle Abbey, and Carrowkeel Neolithic cemetery, which consists of fourteen passage graves topped by stone cairns dating from around 3,000 BC. The route is a complex one that requires constant vigilance for waymarks. Many of the entrances to the old network of underground mines remain open on the hillsides around: they are dangerous and should be avoided. The terrain on the route consists mainly of a variety of quiet tarmac roads, paths across fields, open (and often wet) moorland and forestry paths. The aggregate ascent over the entire route is about 2,600 metres. Overnight accommodation is good in the area. Saothraíodh Mianaigh na hAirgní i gContae Ros Comáin i lár-réigiún thuaidh na hÉireann le breis agus ceithre chéad bliain chun iarann agus gual a thochailt. Ba í sráidbhaile na hAirgní lár an tionscail, agus is bealach siúlóide figiúr-a-hocht 118km ar fad é Bealach an Mhianadóra agus an Conair Stariúil a thosaíonn agus a chríochnaíonn ag an Airgnigh. Tá trí loch ar an mbealach, Loch Aillionn, Loch Arbhach agus Loch Cé agus a thrasnaíonn sé trí shliabhraon ísle, Sliabh an Choire, an Corrshliabh agus an Bricshliabh. I measc na nithe is díol spéise do shiúlóiri fanacht ar an mbealach tá Eispéireas Mianadóireachta na hAirgní, ionad léirmhíniúcháin maidir leis na mianaigh agus a stair, Mainistir Cistéirseach na Búille ón 12ú haois, agus reilig Neoiliteach na Ceathrún Caoile, ina bhfuil ceithre thuama pasáiste déag agus cairn chloiche ar a mbarr ó timpeall 3,000 R.Ch. Tá an bealach casta agus ní mór a bheith ag faire amach do mharcanna slí i gcónaí. Tá go leor de na bealaí isteach chuig an seanghréasán de mhianaigh faoi thalamh fós oscailte ar thaobh an chnoic: tá siad contúirteach agus ba chóir iad a sheachaint. Tá an tír-raon comhdhéanta go príomha de bhóithre tarmac ciúine, cosáin a thrasnaíonn páirceanna, móinteach oscailte (a bhíonn fliuch go minic) agus cosáin foraoiseachta. Is ionann an dreapadh iomlán agus thart ar 2,600 méadar. Tá lóistín maith thaor oíche le fáil sa cheantar.
Before you go
60 kms or 51% of the Way follows local roads. There may be some issues with waymarking at some points along the trail. ***No dogs permitted on any section of the Miner's Way & Historical Trail which crosses farmland except for the section beyond the Organic Centre at Knockvicar through the bog towards Clontykilla Castle and on through Coillte property where dogs under effective control are allowed€ *** Have a look at this short video about the trail For Further information on the Miner's Way & Historical Trail
- Waymarking
- Yellow arrow on black background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Miner's Way & Historical Trail Management Committee
Miners Way & Historical Trail Committee, C/O Ciara McCormac, Una Bhan Tourism, Boyle, Co Rosommon, Tel: 071-9663033 Web: The Miners Way & Historical Trail
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Knockranny Wood Loop 3.6 km away · 1 km trail
- Kilronan Castle Looped Walks - Doon Point Loop 4.8 km away · 2.4 km trail
- Kilronan Castle Looped Walks - Kilronan Castle Loop 4.8 km away · 4.4 km trail
- Kilronan Castle Looped Walks - Lakeside Loop 4.8 km away · 1.9 km trail
- Drumshanbo Narrow Guage Trail 6.0 km away · 2 km trail
- Battlebridge - Drumhauver Bridge Loop 9.3 km away · 9.9 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil?
144.6 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 2,376 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 5 days.
How hard is the Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil?
Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil start?
Starts at Arigna, near Keadew. The trailhead is at 54.07591, -8.11 (Irish Grid G 928 141).
Can you bring a dog on the Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Can you get to the Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil without a car?
At Start: None. At End: Very limited bus service Check with Bus Eireann.
Who manages the Miner's Way & Historical Trail - Slí an Mhianadóra & Conair Stairiúil?
Miner's Way & Historical Trail Management Committee. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.