On Tuesday, February 28th 2017 members of the Flynn family visited NUI Galway to view the archive of Flynn and Lehany Coal Mines Limited. The Flynn family very generously donated the archive to the University. The company was established in 1949. Its archive, one of a very small number on mining in Ireland, is a significant source of information about the mining industry, State energy policy, the operation of the company and the social and economic history of the mines at Arigna.
The Flynn and Lehany company operated the coal mine of Glackaundareagh, Altygowlan, in the central part of the Kilronan mountain in Co. Roscommon from its foundation in 1949, and subsequently at Gubbarudda.The company worked on contracts with hospitals and other public buildings through the 1950s, and it was a supplier to the coal-burning ESB power station atArigna after that station was built in 1958. The power station closed in 1989 and the site is now a quarry operated by Hillstreet Quarries Ltd.
The company operated at a time of great social change in rural Ireland, including rural electrification and themodernisation of Irish industry through the 1960s and 1970s. As the record of a commercial mining company in Ireland in the later twentieth century this collection is unique, and offers unparalleled insights into production processes, as well as financial management and the impact of the industry on the locality. There are only two other collections, both housed at the National Library of Ireland, relating to coal mining in Ireland and each of those relates to the nineteenth century. This archive is also of particular value in its inclusion of the mine owner’s experience.
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| Miners at Altygowlan |
The Flynn and Lehany company operated the coal mine of Glackaundareagh, Altygowlan, in the central part of the Kilronan mountain in Co. Roscommon from its foundation in 1949, and subsequently at Gubbarudda.The company worked on contracts with hospitals and other public buildings through the 1950s, and it was a supplier to the coal-burning ESB power station atArigna after that station was built in 1958. The power station closed in 1989 and the site is now a quarry operated by Hillstreet Quarries Ltd.
The company operated at a time of great social change in rural Ireland, including rural electrification and themodernisation of Irish industry through the 1960s and 1970s. As the record of a commercial mining company in Ireland in the later twentieth century this collection is unique, and offers unparalleled insights into production processes, as well as financial management and the impact of the industry on the locality. There are only two other collections, both housed at the National Library of Ireland, relating to coal mining in Ireland and each of those relates to the nineteenth century. This archive is also of particular value in its inclusion of the mine owner’s experience.
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| Ann, Laura and Mary Flynn |
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| Monica Colum |
The collection was formally handed over by the Flynn family to NUI Galway at yesterday's event in the University.
Dr. Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, commented: “NUI Galway values its archival collections as a major resource for the scholars of today and tomorrow. The donation of the Flynn and Lehany coal mining archive represents a very significant addition to our collections, and the University is much indebted to the Flynn family”.
Fr Tomás Flynn observed: “Our family is delighted that NUI Galway will be the home of the Flynn and Lehany Archive and that this collection will be used for educational purposes.”
John Cox, University Librarian at NUI Galway, noted that “The Flynn and Lehany archive adds to the regional coverage of our collections and is of great value given the enduring interest in the Arigna mines. It sits well with the John McGahern archive in particular.”
This wonderful archive has been listed and is available to view in the Archives and Special Collections Room, Hardiman Research Building, NUIG.
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| Laura and Andrew Flynn with Mary McPartlan |
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