A monument at the top of Sliabh an Iarainn is dedicated to the memory of all those that worked tirelessly in Bencroy Mines in days gone by, writes Martin Branagan.

Coal was probably found on Bencroy before 1802. There may have been some small-scale workings before 1818.

Modern mining started in the 1930s when Cull & Gannon began working the 0.6 m thick Lower Crow Coal.

The mines were taken over by the Wynne Brothers in the 1960s and eventually closed in 1990.

Martin Branagan is a co-founder of LeitrimExperience.ie and is passionate about promoting Leitrim as a tourist destination. Under the LoveLeitrim banner, Martin is touring the county in search of its hidden gems.

A Dubliner by birth and Leitrim resident by choice, Martin can be contacted on +353 (0)86 173 8417 for all advertising queries.

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