The Arigna Soviet Centenary Lecture: A Forgotten Revolution in the Coal-Fields of Roscommon.

Lecture delivered by Oisín Ó Drisceoil as part of Mohill Historical Society's Decade of Centenaries Symposium at Lough Rynn Castle Hotel in September of 2021 on the subject of the Arigna Soviet, a long forgotten worker's soviet that occurred at the Arigna Coal mines between March and September of 1921. That summer, a rancorous dispute broke out between the workers and management of the Arigna Mining Company over a proposed pay cut. This was not the first nor the last time that the troubled company would experience such a disagreement, however the actions taken by the workers to settle their grievances in this instance proved to be unique in the history of Arigna, and in that of Irish coal mining more generally. Taking full advantage of the disturbed state of the country at the time and following the example of workers in Limerick, Monaghan and elsewhere, the miners dramatically occupied the mine and ran it as a workers cooperative for around two months, eventually winning major concessions from an exhausted and demoralised management. In this lecture I explore the history of coal mining in the Arigna valley going back to the first modern efforts in the 18th c., and then work my way through the modern history of the mining company and its complicated relationship with its 'siamese twin' the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Co. I hope to identify certain themes that have reoccurred throughout the history of the mines and to explain how these contributed to the dramatic events of 1921, as well as exploring how the extraordinary conditions prevailing in Ireland at the time made the bold actions of the workers possible. And finally I will discuss how the resolution of the dispute was complicated by the outbreak of the Civil War and discuss some avenues for possible further research. I would like to thank Kim Taylor of Mohill Library for her support in researching for this presentation, and the Mohill Historical Society for facilitating the event. Credit for the video goes to David Wynne. If you have any questions about this research or having any information on the subject that you would like to share please leave a comment or contact me at the email listed on the channel page.