The Slate Industry of Yeyn Keveren
Slate was first discovered here in the early 18th century, when farmers noticed that the thin, splitting rock made excellent roofing for their cottages.
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The Slate Industry of Yeyn Keveren
The story of Yeyn Keveren is written in stone—specifically, in the glittering grey-blue veins of slate that run through its highland valleys. Slate was first discovered here in the early 18th century, when farmers noticed that the thin, splitting rock made excellent roofing for their cottages. By the late 1700s, small family quarries dotted the hillsides, supplying local demand.
Slate Tramway c1850
It was the arrival of organized investment in the 19th century, however, that turned Yeyn Keveren into the slate capital of the islands.
As demand for roofing slate soared across Europe, vast quarries and underground mines were opened, their terraces stepping down the mountains like amphitheatres of industry. Yeyn Keveren’s slate was valued not only for its durability but also for its distinctive silver sheen, which caught the light even on grey days. At its height, thousands of men worked in the pits, wielding hammers and chisels, while wagons rattled down inclines to the railway sidings. Whole villages grew around the quarries, their chapels, schools, and taverns filled with the rhythm of slate life.
Yet the industry was not without hardship. Work was dangerous, with frequent rockfalls and lung disease from stone dust. Strikes and disputes over pay and conditions were common, reflecting the harsh realities of industrial life. By the mid-20th century, competition from cheaper roofing materials and the decline of heavy industry led to a sharp fall in demand. Many quarries closed, leaving behind scars in the landscape and memories of an age when Yeyn Keveren slate roofed half the islands.
Today, a few quarries remain in operation, supplying heritage markets and specialist projects. The rest have become part of the cultural heritage of Rathmor, their echoing galleries and towering spoil heaps reminders of the community once forged from stone.
Slate Workers at Yeyn Keveren c1910
Yeyn Keveren incline no.3 c1885
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The Slate Industry of Yeyn Keveren
Located in the highlands of western Rathmor
