"Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Leinster , subdivision_type2 = Region , subdivision_name2 = Eastern and Midland , seat_type =

County town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...

, seat = Mullingar , parts_type = Largest settlement , parts =

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

, leader_title = Local authority , leader_name = Westmeath County Council , leader_title2 = Dáil constituencies , leader_name2 = , leader_title3 = EP constituency , leader_name3 = Midlands–North-West , area_total_km2 = 1840 , area_rank =

21st 21 (twenty-one) is the natural number following 20 and preceding 22. The current century is the 21st century AD, under the Gregorian calendar. In mathematics 21 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 3 and 7, and a defici ...

, population_total = 95,840 , population_as_of = 2022 , population_footnotes = , population_density_km2 = auto , population_rank = 22nd , blank_name_sec1 = Vehicle index
mark code , blank_info_sec1 = WH , website = , timezone = WET , utc_offset = ±0 , timezone_DST = IST , utc_offset_DST = +1 , established_title = Established , established_date = 1542 , area_code_type = Telephone area codes , area_code = 044, 090 (primarily) , postal_code_type =

Eircode A "postal address" in Ireland is a place of delivery defined by Irish Standard (IS) EN 14142-1:2011 ("Postal services. Address databases") and serviced by the universal service provider, '' An Post''. Its addressing guides comply with the ...

routing keys , postal_code = N37, N91 (primarily) , elevation_max_m = 258 , elevation_max_point =

Mullaghmeen Mullaghmeen (), at , is the county top for Westmeath in Ireland, and is the lowest county top in Ireland. Mullaghmeen is located in the Mullaghmeen Forest, known for having the largest planted beech forest in Europe. Geography Mullaghmeen l ...

, official_name = , module = , iso_code = IE-WH County Westmeath (; ga, Contae na hIarmhí or simply ) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the

Eastern and Midland Region The Eastern and Midland Region has been defined as a region in Ireland since 1 January 2015. It is a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS Level II statistical NUTS statistical regions of Ireland, region of Ireland (coded IE06) ...

. It formed part of the historic

Kingdom of Meath Meath (; Old Irish: ''Mide'' ; spelt ''Mí'' in Modern Irish) was a kingdom in Ireland from the 1st to the 12th century AD. Its name means "middle," denoting its location in the middle of the island. At its greatest extent, it included all of ...

, which was named Mide because the kingdom was located in the geographical centre of Ireland (the word Mide meaning 'middle'). Westmeath County Council is the administrative body for the county, and the county town is Mullingar. At the 2022 census, the population of the county was 95,840.

History

Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the territory of the Gaelic

formed the basis for the Anglo-Norman

Lordship of Meath The Lordship of Meath was an extensive seigneurial Liberty (division), liberty in medieval History of Ireland (1169–1536), Ireland that was awarded to Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, Hugh de Lacy by King Henry II of England by the service of fifty ...

granted by King Henry II of England to Hugh de Lacy in 1172. Following the failure of de Lacy's male heirs in 1241, the Lordship was split between two great-granddaughters. One moiety, a central eastern portion, was awarded to Maud (de Geneville) as the liberty of Trim; the other moiety, comprising north-eastern and western portions, went to Maud's sister Margery (de Verdun) and in 1297 became the royal county of Meath. The liberty and royal county were merged in 1461. While the east of the county was in the English Pale, the west was Gaelicised in the fourteenth century and outside the control of the sheriff of Meath. As a part of the better administration of the newly established

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...

, the Parliament of Ireland passed the

Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 An Act for the division of Meath into two shires (referred to in the modern Irish Statute Book as the Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543) was an Act of the Parliament of Ireland passed in 1542 which resulted in the division of County Me ...

, the eastern portion retaining the name Meath and the western portion called Westmeath.

Geography and subdivisions

Westmeath is the 20th largest of Ireland's 32 counties by area and the 22nd largest in terms of population. It is the sixth largest of Leinster's 12 counties in size and eighth largest in terms of population. The

Hill of Uisneach The Hill of Uisneach or Ushnagh ( ga, Uisneach or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial site in the barony of Rathconrath in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is a protected national monument. It consists of numerous monuments and earthworks— prehist ...

in the barony of Moycashel is sometimes regarded as the notional geographical centre of Ireland although the actual

geographic centre of Ireland The Geographical Centre of Ireland, according to an investigation and calculation carried out by the Official Irish Government Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) published on the official OSI website on 24 February 2022 is near the co ...

lies in neighbouring

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

. The summit of

is the highest point in County Westmeath. At just 258 metres this makes it the lowest county top in Ireland.

Local government and politics

The head office of Westmeath County Council is located in Mullingar. There are currently 20 councillors. The three local electoral areas of Westmeath are Athlone (7 seats), Mullingar–Coole (7 seats) and Mullingar–Kilbeggan (6 seats). The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 provided the framework for the establishment of County Councils throughout Ireland. The first meeting of Westmeath County Council was held on 22 April 1899. Westmeath's population growth has been stronger than the national average. After the Great Famine, the population of Westmeath declined dramatically. It stabilised in the middle of the 20th century, and has continued to grow. Westmeath's proximity to Dublin, with good motorway facilities and frequent rail service, has made commuting popular. County Westmeath's population fell in the century following the Great Famine, with many leaving for better opportunities in America. The largest town in the county is

, followed by the County town Mullingar. Westmeath is the largest county by population in the Irish Midlands. Important commercial and marketing centres include Moate,

Kilbeggan Kilbeggan () is a town in the barony of Moycashel, County Westmeath, Ireland. Geography Kilbeggan is situated on the River Brosna, in the south of County Westmeath. It lies south of Lough Ennell, and Castletown Geoghegan, north of the boundar ...

, Kinnegad, Ballinahown,

Delvin Delvin () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland; it is located on the N52 road at a junction with the N51 to Navan. The town is from Mullingar (along the N52). The word Delvin comes from Delbhna. That tribe settled in what is present-da ...

, Rochfortbridge, Killucan and Castlepollard. According to the 2011 census, 51.9% of Westmeath households have at least one member reporting an ability in Irish. Westmeath is one of the few counties in Ireland where some census records from 1841 are still available. Some of the records of that census have been digitised and maintained by the National Archives of Ireland. As of the 2022 census, Westmeath had a population of 95,840, consisting of 47,522 males and 48,318 females. The Central Statistics Office also said that despite the overall increase in population, the rural population had still fallen (2016 census).

Economy

Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

. Mullingar gained considerable advantage from the development of the

Royal Canal The Royal Canal ( ga, An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition ...

. The canal facilitated cheap transport of produce to Dublin, Britain and Europe. Athlone and Mullingar expanded further with the coming of the Midland Great Western Railway network in the nineteenth century. Tourism in Westmeath is generally based on its many water amenities. The county lakes include Lough Derravaragh, Lough Ennell, Lough Owel, Lough Lene,

Lough Sheelin Lough Sheelin (), in standard Irish ''Loch Síleann'', is a limestone freshwater lough (lake) in central Ireland. The lake is a part of the River Inny course, and ultimately of the Shannon system. Geography and geology Lough Sheelin lies at ...

and Lough Ree. The

(Ireland's key tourism waterway) has a modern inland harbour in Athlone. In 2017 the largest employment sectors within Westmeath were: Two major "Greenway" projects are intended to improve cycling facilities. The Athone—Mullingar section of the Dublin—Galway Greenway, along the old railway corridor between Athlone and Mullingar, was constructed in 2015. The Royal Canal Greenway takes tourists from the county boundary to Mullingar, and then on towards Longford. Those wishing to use the Dublin-Galway Greenway can transfer from the Royal Canal route to the old rail corridor onwards towards Athlone. The development of industry in Westmeath has been mainly based on food processing and consumer products. Whiskey is distilled in Kilbeggan and tobacco is processed in Mullingar. The county has an extensive beef and dairy trade. In recent times, the manufacturer Alkermes has located in Athlone. The eastern part of the county is home to commuters, many of whom work at the technology parks on the western side of Dublin. Mullingar is renowned for the high quality of its beef and veal. Weaned cattle from the west of the Shannon are fattened for market on the lush grasslands of Meath and Westmeath. The cattle are also used to maintain grassland to help sustain wildlife in the areas fringing the

Bog of Allen The Bog of Allen ( ga, Móin Alúine) is a large raised bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon. The bog's 958 square kilometers (370 square miles) stretch into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Lao ...

. Westmeath is home to many stud farms. The plains of Westmeath, covered in calcium-rich

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

, contribute significantly to calcification of foal bones during their formative years. Westmeath mares are usually put into foal in spring to facilitate summer growth. Pregnancy lasts for approximately 335–340 days and usually results in one foal. Horses mature when they are around four years old.

Railways

Westmeath also has railway infrastructure with a number of trains passing through towns in the county. The

Dublin–Westport/Galway railway line The Dublin-Westport/Galway line is a major railway route from Dublin to Galway or Westport, County Mayo. The line is part of the greater intercity rail network formed by branches of the main line between Dublin and Cork. The route to Westpo ...

runs through the county, with services from Dublin Heuston to Galway/ Westport/ Ballina inter-city train service stops at

, while the Dublin-Sligo railway line service stops at Mullingar. The line from

via Moate railway station to Mullingar could be reopened for trains from Galway to Dublin Connolly. Other major infrastructural projects and plans for the county include Transport 21.

Road transport

Roads are of good quality in the county. As part of the Transport 21 infrastructure programme undertaken by the government, both the N4 and N6 roads have been upgraded to motorway or

dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

standard. All towns that these roads passed through are now bypassed, such as Mullingar,

, Moate and Kinnegad. Both Dublin and Galway are within commuting distance from Westmeath following the completion of the M6 motorway in December 2009. * Midlands (ATM) Gateway * National Development Plan * Transport 21

Sport

Westmeath is an active sporting county. The Westmeath GAA senior

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team won the Leinster Senior Football Championship, the Delaney Cup, in 2004. They also won the National Football League Division 2 in 2001, 2003 and 2008. The Westmeath senior

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

team has enjoyed much recent success winning the

Christy Ring Cup The Christy Ring Cup () is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. Originally introduced as a second-tier competition, it is currently the third tier overall in the inter-county hurling championship system. Eac ...

in 2005, 2007 and 2010. Athlone Town F.C. have won the League of Ireland Championship on two occasions, in 1980 and 1982, and the

FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...

in 1924. Westmeath Ladies won the 2011 All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship. Athlone Institute of Technology boasts a €10 million international athletics arena, which opened in early 2013. The International Arena has a footprint of 6,818m2 and an overall building floor area of 9,715m2. Some 850 tonnes of structural steel and fifty thousand concrete blocks went into the construction of the facility, which can house two thousand spectators. Westmeath Snooker Ranking Tournaments officially recognised by The Republic of Ireland Billiards & Snooker Association are organised and run by St Mary's Snooker Club Bishopgate Street Mullingar. The Ranking events in Junior, Intermediate and Senior events are: #Mullingar Open Snooker Championship #Westmeath Open Snooker Championship #St.Mary's Open Classic Snooker Championship #The Midland Open Snooker Championship

People

Notable Westmeath natives include: * The Academic, music group * Tony Allen, of music duo Foster & Allen * The Blizzards, music group *

Arthur Booth-Clibborn Commissioner Arthur Sydney Booth-Clibborn (''né'' Clibborn) (1855 – 20 February 1939) was a pioneering Salvation Army officer in France and Switzerland. He was the husband of Kate Booth, the oldest daughter of General William and Catherine ...

, pioneering Salvation Army officer in France and Switzerland * Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, British thoroughbred racehorse trainer * George Boyd-Rochfort, awarded Victoria Cross *Emmet Cahill, singer from Irish group

Celtic Thunder Celtic Thunder is an Irish singing group and stage show known for its eclectic, theatrical style show. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic set pieces (of ...

* Michael Joseph Curley, Archbishop of Washington * Joe Dolan, singer *

Domnall Midi Domhnall Mac Murchada (born c. 700, died 20 November 763), called Domnall Midi (Donald of Meath), was High King of Ireland. He belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill. Clann Cholmáin's pre-eminence among the southern Uí Néill, ...

, King of Mide * Thomas Duffy, awarded Victoria Cross * Gormflaith ingen Flann Sinna, Queen of Tara * Laurence Ginnell, Irish nationalist political figure, Irish Parliamentary Party MP and later a Sinn Féin TD in the First Dáil * Robbie Henshaw, Irish Rugby international * Nuala Holloway, artist and former Miss Ireland *

Niall Horan Niall James Horan ( ; born 13 September 1993) is an Irish singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence as a member of the boy band One Direction, formed in 2010 on the singing competition ''The X Factor''. The group released five albums and went ...

, singer-songwriter and former member of band One Direction * James Lennon, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly *

Ray Lynam Ray Lynam is an Irish country music singer, born on 29 November 1951 in Moate, Co. Westmeath. Career Ray was born in Moate, County Westmeath to Patrick, a baker, and Nora, a shopkeeper. He was one of three sons, his brothers being Padraic and Jo ...

, singer * Máel Sechnaill II, King of Mide and

King of Ireland King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

* John Count McCormack, tenor * John Joe Nevin, boxer * T. P. O'Connor, journalist, Irish nationalist political figure, British MP *

Niall mac Aed Ó hUiginn Niall O'Higgin ( ga, Niall mac Aed Ó hUiginn; fl. 1414) was an Irish poet. Niall was a member of the Ó hUiginn family of Connacht, but resided in what is now County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island o ...

, poet * Michael O'Leary, CEO of

Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...

* Edward Pakenham, politician and Irish officer in the British army *

Peg Plunkett Peg Plunkett (1727–1797) was an Irish brothel keeper in Dublin who wrote her memoirs in three volumes. Life Margaret Plunkett was born in the Irish county of Westmeath around 1727. (Her date of birth is not accepted by all who have written ab ...

, Dublin brothel keeper * Walter Raleigh, spent time at Killua Castle *

Nessa Robins Nessa Robins is an Irish food writer, blogger and photographer from County Westmeath, Ireland. She is best known for her award-winning cookbook and food blog. She also writes a monthly recipe column in the ''Irish Farmers Journal''. Early lif ...

, food writer, blogger and photographer * Brendan Shine, singer *

Túathal Techtmar Túathal Techtmar (; 'the legitimate'), son of Fíachu Finnolach, was a High King of Ireland, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition. He is said to be the ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta dynasties through his grandso ...

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

* George Wade, British Army Field Marshal

Gallery

File:Moulin à Pierre.jpg, Mullingar Famine Memorial File:Les tours Christ le Roi Mullingar.jpg, Christ the King Cathedral, Mullingar File:St Peter's and St Paul's Church (RC), Athlone - geograph.org.uk - 167216.jpg, Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Athlone File:Austin Friars 01.jpg, Austin Friars, Mullingar File:Mullingar Centre.jpg, Mullingar Centre File:Canal à Mullingar.jpg, The

, Mullingar File:Celtic Cross Columb Barracks Mullingar.JPG, Celtic Cross at Columb
Military Barracks, Mullingar File:Knockeyon 07.jpg, Lough Derravaragh &

Knockeyon Knockeyon ( ga, Cnoc Eóin) is a hill in County Westmeath, Ireland in the townland of Streamstown. When viewed from the Ranaghan, and Gillardstown side of the hill, it dominates the surrounding lakes in the countryside of northern County West ...

File:Lough ennell ireland.png, Lough Ennell File:Hill of Ben Fore.JPG,

Hill of Ben A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...

Fore File:Plaque de la caserne Columb Mullingar.JPG, Columb Barracks, Mullingar File:Stile 01 Ranaghan.jpg, 19th century concrete stile,(v1) Mass-Path, Ranaghan, Collinstown File:Lough Lene Bell Riplica.JPG, Bell of Lough Lene File:NunsTurgesius Castle isles Lough Lene.JPG,

Turgesius Island {{Infobox settlement , name = Turgesius Island , other_name = {{pad top italic, Inis Thuresius , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = , image_caption = , pushpin_map = Irelan ...

, Lough Lene File:Couché de Soleil Lough Lene.jpg, Sunset on Lough Lene File:Lough Lene bathing.JPG, The Cut, Lough Lene File:Dublin Mullingar Train.JPG, Dublin-Mullingar Train File:An Muileann gCearr.JPG, Kiloutou, Mullingar File:Athlone Ireland and river Shannon.jpg, Church of St. Peter and Paul,

File:De Lacey Castle 01.jpg, Delvin Castle

Towns/villages

* Ballinahown * Ballinalack * Ballykeeran * Ballymore *

Ballynacargy Ballynacargy, or Ballinacarrigy, () is a small village in County Westmeath, Ireland on the Royal Canal and the R393 regional road. The last official commercial navigation of the canal took place in 1955. Public transport Bus Éireann route 44 ...

* Castledaly * Castlepollard *

Castletown-Geoghegan Castletown Geoghegan () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland, and lies south west of Lough Ennell near the county town of Mullingar. Castletown was the seat of the Geoghegan family of the medieval Barony of Moycashel in County Westmeath. ...

* Clonmellon * Collinstown * Coole *

Crookedwood Crookedwood () is a small village in County Westmeath on the R394 regional road. Historically it was called ''Taghmon'' (), after the townland it occupies. Geography Overlooked by the dominating hill of Knockeyon to the north, the village r ...

* Drumcree *

Drumraney Drumraney ( Irish: ''Droim Raithne'') is a village in the County Westmeath, Ireland, just off the R390 regional road between Athlone and Mullingar. It is part of a small parish with a population of approximately 240 which includes the nearby ...

Finnea Finnea () is a small village in County Westmeath on the border with County Cavan. It straddles the R394 road, in the northern portion of Ireland. Transport Bus Éireann route 447 provides a link to Castlepollard, Crookedwood and Mullingar on Th ...

* Fore * Glassan *

Horseleap Horseleap () is a village situated upon the Offaly, Westmeath county border in Ireland, along the R446, formerly the main Dublin to Galway road. The village itself possesses a church, primary school, a garden centre, a pub, and a petrol statio ...

* Killucan and Rathwire * Kinnegad * Milltownpass * Moate * Mount Temple * Moyvoughly * Mullingar, the county town * Multyfarnham * Raharney *

Rathconrath Rathconrath () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is situated on the R392 regional road west of Mullingar. Rathconrath is also one of the baronies in Co. Westmeath, see list of baronies of Ireland. Public transport Bus Éireann ...

* Rathowen * Rochfortbridge *

Rosemount Rosemount may refer to: Place names Australia * Rosemount, Queensland Canada * Rural Municipality of Rosemount No. 378, Saskatchewan Ireland * Rosemount, County Westmeath, an area in the Southwest of Westmeath United Kingdom * Rosemount, Aberde ...

Streamstown Streamstown () is a village in County Westmeath, Ireland. It sits roughly 20 km from the county town of Mullingar. Streamstown was historically called ''Ballintruhan'', which is an anglicisation of its Irish name. A horse named '' Streamstown' ...

* Tang * Tubberclare * Tyrrellspass

References

External links

Westmeath Census information

Westmeath Community Development

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE MIDLANDS GATEWAY; Census statistics page 27

Westmeath Enterprise

Westmeath Examiner (Local Newspaper)

Westmeath Bands

Westmeath Architectural Heritage (NIAH)

Westmeath Tourism Official Website
{{Coord, 53, 30, N, 7, 30, W, region:IE_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Westmeath Westmeath Westmeath