East Meath ( gle, An Oirmhí) is an area of made up of the electoral divisions of St Mary's (Part) and Julianstown in County Meath. The area is bound on the north by the

River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...

and County Louth, to the south just beyond the River Nanny close to the County Dublin border, to the east by the Irish Sea and to the west by the M1. It has been part of the Dáil constituency of Louth since 2007.

Geography

Urban areas

Bettystown Bettystown (), previously known as Betaghstown and transliterated to ''Beattystown/Bettystown'', is a village in an area known as East Meath within County Meath, Ireland. Together with the neighbouring villages of Laytown and Mornington it c ...

Donacarney Donacarney ( or ) is a village in the area known as East Meath in County Meath, Ireland, close to Drogheda and the border with County Louth. It contains one church, two estates, two schools, and one pub. Although it includes the townlands of ...

*Drogheda South * Julianstown *

Laytown Laytown () is a village in County Meath, Ireland, located on the R150 regional road and overlooking the Irish Sea. Historically it was called ''Ninch'', after the townland it occupies. Together with the neighbouring villages of Mornington a ...

* Mornington

Electoral divisions

*Julianstown *St. Mary's (Part)

Demographics

The area is characterised by a series of densely populated urban areas which stretch across Meath's 12 km coastline and mesh into one another. With a population of 22,909 according to the 2016 census, and an area of 82 km2, East Meath accounts for roughly 3.5% of the area and 11.7% of the population of County Meath. The largest centre of population is the census town of Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington which had a population of 11,872 recorded in 2016.

Defined area

The Report on Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies 2007 recommended ''"that Louth should become a 5-seat constituency by extending the constituency southwards from, and in the environs of, Drogheda and taking in electoral divisions which have extensive linkages with the town. This will allow the inclusion of the town of Drogheda and hinterland areas in a single constituency."'' The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009 defines the constituency as: "The county of Louth and, in the county of Meath, the electoral divisions of Julianstown, St. Mary’s (part), in the former ''Rural District of Meath''."

Sport

* St. Colmcille's GAA club serves the area of East Meath encompassing the villages of Laytown, Bettystown, Donacarney and Mornington. Their facilities are located at Páirc Uí Rís in Piltown, Bettystown. * Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club, Golflinks Road, Bettystown. * Laytown and Bettystown Lawn Tennis Club, Golflinks Road, Bettystown. * East Meath United is a youths soccer football club that competes in the AUL, DDSL, DCSL and the NDSL. The football club, which was founded in 1999, plays its home matches at Minnistown Road,

, County Meath. The team's colours are claret, Blue and White.

Transport

Rail

Laytown Train Station serves the area with direct rail links to

Dublin Connolly Connolly station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Chonghaile) or Dublin Connolly is one of the busiest railway stations in Dublin and Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. On the North side of the River Liffey, it provides InterC ...

Road

East Meath can be reached via Exit 7 (Julianstown, Drogheda South), Exit 8 (Drogheda, Duleek) and Exit 9 (Drogheda Centre, Donore) on the

M1 motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston By-pass, which ...

which connects Dublin to Belfast. East Meath can be reached via the R132 (Previously N1) by joining the R150 north in Drogheda, or R150 south in Julainstown.

Bus

Bus Éireann 190/190A connects Laytown-Drogheda-(Via Slane)-Navan-Trim/Athboy. Matthews Coach Hire services East Meath with bus services to Dublin. The route serves, City North, Julianstown,

and Drogheda Colpe.

Education

Primary

* Donacarney Boys National School. * Gaelscoil an Bhradain Feasa, Drogheda. * Le Cheile

Educate Together Educate Together () is an educational charity in Ireland which is the patron body to "equality-based, co-educational, child centred, and democratically run" schools. It was founded in 1984 to act as the patron body for the new multidenomination ...

National School, Drogheda. * Reált Na Mara Girls National School, Donacarney. * Scoil an Spioraid Naomh, Laytown. * Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa, Laytown. * Whitecross National School, Julianstown.

Secondary

Drogheda Grammar School Drogheda Grammar School is an Irish co-educational multi-denominational school, located on Mornington Road, Drogheda, County Louth. History Drogheda Grammar School was founded under Royal Charter in 1669 by Erasmus Smith and is one of the ol ...

* Coláiste na hInse

Churches

* Sacred Heart RC Church, Laytown. * Star of the Sea RC Church, Mornington. * St Mary's RC Church, Julianstown. * St Mary's Church of Ireland, Julianstown * Drogheda Presbyterian Church, Colpe East, Drogheda.

Ecology

Sonairte is an interactive visitor centre established in 1986 which promotes ecological awareness and sustainable living. Sonairte, The Ninch, Laytown.

Gallery

File:Maiden Tower, Mornington, and Mouth of River Boyne - geograph.org.uk - 534835.jpg, Maiden Tower, Mornington File:Laytown meath beach.jpg, Laytown viewed from across the river Nanny File:Ship on River Boyne - geograph.org.uk - 571983.jpg, Ships on the Boyne at Mornington File:Neptune Hotel, Bettystown.jpg, Neptune Hotel, Bettystown File:Bettystown, Road Sign - geograph.org.uk - 312488.jpg, Bettystown road sign File:Redundant lighthouse at Mornington, Co. Meath - geograph.org.uk - 545664.jpg, Mouth of the Boyne at Mornington

References

External links

Official local area plans for East Meath (pdf)

Local Area Plan for the Southern Environs of Drogheda 2009 - 2015

Planning Strategy for the Greater Drogheda Area
{{coord missing, County Meath County Meath Drogheda