The history of mining in Arigna goes back to the 1700s, where coal was extracted from one of the narrowest seams known. Opened in the 1600s by Charles Coote, it changed ownership many times, including the United Irishmen the O'Reilly brothers, and then by local families. The coal was extracted originally for use in the processing of iron ore, as both nearby Sliabh an Iarainn and the Arigna River contain deposits the ore. Dublin's Ha'penny Bridge is made of Arigna iron. The mine served a purpose-built ESB station, which closed with the mine, when in 1992 the coal ran out.