Photos of Erin and Westfalen colliery !

Manfred has been working in different collieries in the Ruhr area (Germany), but now he lives in Bangkok in Thailand. Because of the fact that he still feels like a miner he has sent the photos of Erin and Westfalen colliery and the copies of some of his reports to me.

Erin colliery was situated in the city of Castrop-Rauxel (Germany) and was established by Thomas Mulvany, an industrialist from Ireland. Thomas Mulvany ran three collieries in the Ruhr area: Erin colliery - Erin is the Celtic name of Ireland -, Shamrock colliery - the flower called shamrock is the symbol of Ireland - and Hibernia colliery - Hibernia is the Latin name of Ireland. Westfalen colliery, some photos of which can be seen here, as well, was situated in the city of Ahlen in the Eastern Ruhr area and it was closed in the year 2000. Both collieries that can be seen on this page belonged to a mining company called Eschweiler Bergwerks-Verein (EBV). The EBV used most of its coal production for supplying steel plants in Luxemburg with coke.

I want to apologize for the photos' bad quality, but the paper seems to have suffered a lot because of the warm and humid climate in Thailand. Nevertheless I want to say thank you to Manfred for the photos and his efforts !

Please click on the photos' small versions in order to enlarge them and to get the corresponding background information. ATTENTION: The pictures' explanations can now be found UNDER the large versions.

A share of the former Erin colliery.

Erin colliery seen from the car park.

Erin colliery in Castrop-Rauxel in 1983.

Erin colliery also ran a cokery.