‘Into the War, Into the Water’

A song about coal mining in Ireland.

Written by Ailie Blunnie

Produced by Daragh Dukes

Video by Edwina Guckian & Dreoilín Productions

September 2021

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Hello there!

This is a new piece that I wrote as part of the 'To The Mountain' commissions for the Iron Mountain Literature Festival 2021.

The text is based on interviews from two RTE Radio One documentaries about coal-mining in Ireland: ''From the Miners to Prosperity' (1972) and ''The Long Strike' (2009).

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The song is inspired by the Sliabh an Iarainn, Lough Allen, and Arigna areas of Co. Leitrim & Roscommon, a landscape rich in coal mining history close to where I grew up.

Huge thanks to Daragh Dukes for his beautiful production work, to Edwina Guckian for creating the wonderful video, filmed in the Derreenavoggy coal mines in Arigna. With special thanks to Vincent Woods, the Iron Mountain Literature Festival, The Arigna Mining Experience & Leitrim Arts.

I hope you enjoy it,

Ailie

Watch all seven 'To The Mountain' commissioned pieces

- by Róisín Kelly, Séamus O'Rourke, Alice Lyons, Stephen Murphy, Michael Harding and Pat McCabe.