County Westmeath Contae na hIarmhí
Location
Statistics
Province:	Leinster
County Town:	Mullingar
Code:	WH
Area:	1,764 km²
Population (2006)	79,403
Website: www.westmeathcoco.ie

County Westmeath (Irish: Contae na hIarmhí) is a county situated in the Irish midlands, also popularly called the "Lake county" in the western part of the province of Leinster. Area: 1,764 km². The county was once part of the ancient province of Meath and later of County Meath. This association ended in 1543 when County Westmeath was created under the Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... map File links The following pages link to this file: County Westmeath Westmeath (constituency) Categories: GFDL images ... When under Gaelic rule, Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the túatha. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... A county town is the capital of a county in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. ... For the place in Canada, see Mullingar, Saskatchewan. ... A number plate for a car registered in 2001 in County Dublin Index marks on Number plates in the Republic of Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where the components are: YY — a 2-digit year (e. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... The Irish midlands are made up of the central plain of Ireland. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... For the span of recorded history starting roughly 5,000-5,500 years ago, see Ancient history. ... Meath (An Mhí in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, the county is often informally called The Royal County. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Navan Code: MH Area: 2,342 km² Population (2006) 162,831 Website: www. ... // Events February 21 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeat the armies of Adal led by Ahmed Gragn. ...

Mullingar with a population 18,529 is the county administrative centre, and has the largest urban population of the county. Athlone (population 16,888), Moate, Kilbeggan, and Castlepollard are also important commerce and marketing centres within the county. For the place in Canada, see Mullingar, Saskatchewan. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N033420 Statistics Province: Leinster & Connaught County: Dáil Éireann: Westmeath European Parliament: East Dialling Code: 090, +353 90 Elevation: 56 m Population (2006) 16,888 Town: 6,970 Rural: 9,918  Website: www. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Kilbeggan (Irish: Cill Bheagáin) is a town located in County Westmeath, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

Economy:

Westmeath has traditionally been an agricultural economy. Urban development centred on market centres like Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its critical military significance in the 1500s, as it was located where the main East-West route crossed the Shannon. Mullingar got considerable advantage from the development of the Royal Canal making possible bulk transport to Dublin, and the sea. Both Athlone and Mullingar developed further in significance with the construction of the Irish railway network. Picture of the Royal Canal near Mullingar taken in October 2004 The Royal Canal is a canal originally built for freight transportation from the River Liffey at Dublin to the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland. ...

After the famine the population of Westmeath dropped dramatically, and didn't recovered until the late 1950s. Agriculture has always been important in Westmeath and the county is renowned for its cattle production.

Tourism in Westmeath is centred on its water amenities. The county has lakes such as Lough Derravaragh, Lough Ennell, Lough Lene, Lough Owel and Lough Ree. Both the Grand Canal, and the Royal Canal go through Westmeath, and the Shannon (Ireland's key tourism waterway) has a considerable inland harbour in Athlone. Lough Derravaragh Lough Derravaragh is an Irish lough (lake) in County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, north of Mullingar and close to Castlepollard and Multifarnham. ... Categories: Ireland-place stubs ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Lough Owel is a lough in the Midlands of Ireland, situated north of Mullingar, the county town of Westmeath in Ireland. ... Lough Ree (Loch Rí in Irish) is a lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. ...

The development of industry in Westmeath was based on food processing and consumer products. Whiskey production in Kilbeggan, tobacco processing in Mullingar, and the meat trade were prominent. In reccent times, the drug company élan has located in Athlone. The district to the East of Mullingar is now part of the commuter belt serving the technology parks on the western side of Dublin, proving popular with people who wish to work in Leixlip, County Kildare. A pharmaceutical company, or drug company, is a commercial business licensed to research, develop, market and/or distribute drugs, most commonly in the context of healthcare. ... Élan Corporation plc (NYSE: ELN), (LSE: ELA) is a major drugs firm based in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland. ... Commuting is the process of travelling from a place of residence to a place of work. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Naas Code: KE Area: 1,693 km² Population (2006) 186,075 Website: www. ...

Notable Westmeath people include Michael O'Leary the CEO of Ryanair, Joe Dolan, broadcaster Marian Finucane, and Nuala Holloway, former Miss Ireland, model and actress, now artist and academic. For other persons named Michael OLeary, see Michael OLeary (disambiguation). ... Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin, with its biggest operational base situated in London Stansted Airport in the UK. It is Europes largest low-cost carrier and it is one of the worlds largest and most successful airlines (whether in... Portrait of Joe Dolan 2007 Joe Dolan (born Joseph Francis Robert Dolan, 16 October, 1943 in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland) is a singer of easy listening songs. ... Marian Finucane (born 1950) is an Irish broadcaster with Radio Telefís Éireann. ... Nuala Holloway is a model, actress, Miss Ireland, artist and academic. ... A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ...

Westmeath's main achievements in Gaelic Games were winning the Leinster Senior Football Championship, or Delaney Cup, in 2004, and winning the Christy Ring Cup in hurling in 2005. Gaelic games are the native sports of Ireland: principally Hurling, Gaelic Football and Camogie. ... The Leinster Senior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bank of Ireland Leinster Championship) is the premier knockout competition in the game of football played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. ... Delaney is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic ODubhshlaine. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Christy Ring Cup is in effect a competition for the Division 2 hurling teams, the so-called middle-ranking hurling teams in Ireland. ... For the Cornish sport, see Cornish Hurling. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

According to the Irish Independent, 12 December 2006, Westmeath is the goat capital of Ireland, with five times as many goats as Kerry. The Irish Independent is Irelands best-selling daily newspaper. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the domestic species. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Tralee Code: KY Area: 4,746 km² Population (2006) 139,616 Website: www. ...

Towns and villages in Westmeath

• Athlone
• Castlepollard, Castletown-Geoghegan, Collinstown, Coole
• Delvin
• Finnea, Fore Abbey
• Glasson
• Horseleap
• Kilbeggan, Killucan, Kinnegad, Knockdrin
• Moate, Mullingar, Multyfarnham
• Raharney, Rochfortbridge, Rosemount
• Tang, Tyrrellspass
• Midlands (ATM) Gateway

Westmeath is bordered by the counties of Cavan, Longford, Meath, Offaly and Roscommon. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N033420 Statistics Province: Leinster & Connaught County: Dáil Éireann: Westmeath European Parliament: East Dialling Code: 090, +353 90 Elevation: 56 m Population (2006) 16,888 Town: 6,970 Rural: 9,918  Website: www. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Castletown-Geoghegan & Lough Ennell Area However if you have downloaded some of the materiel, to save searching time please reload it ASAMP. Your patience is requested until repairs are completed: Thank you: ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Westmeath European Parliament: East Population (2006)  - Town:  - Rural: included above Coole is a village in County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, situated upon a plateau that overlooks the part of the Bog of Allen, cultivated for peat for fuel consumption... Delvin (Irish: Dealbhna) is a small town in north County Westmeath, Ireland located on the N52 road at a junction with the N51 to Navan. ... Finnea (Fiodh an Átha), is a small village in County Westmeath on the border with County Cavan. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Horseleap is a small village in Ireland straddling the counties of Westmeath and Offaly, on the main Dublin to Galway road. ... Kilbeggan (Irish: Cill Bheagáin) is a town located in County Westmeath, Ireland. ... Killucan (Irish: Cill Liucainne) is a small town in County Westmeath, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Elevation: 112m Population (2006)  - Town:  - Rural:   1149  included above Website: www. ... Knockdrin entrance leaving Mullingar towards Castlepollard This is an area north of Mullingar, doted with a beautiful castle in County Westmeath, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... For the place in Canada, see Mullingar, Saskatchewan. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Elevation: 109m Population (2002) 232  Raharney (Irish: , Aharnys fort) is a village in the east of the County Westmeath. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N462407 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Westmeath European Parliament: East Population (2002) 1,382  Rochfortbridge (Irish: ) is a rapidly expanding village in County Westmeath, Ireland with a population of 1,382 in 2002. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Tyrrellspass (Bealach an Tirialaigh in Irish) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. ... // Midlands or Lake-Counties Gateway Midlands or Lake-Counties Gateway Midlands Gateway & Tri-Pole Populations Midlands Gateway Popular Routes Centered between the major Irish airports, as Dublin, Shannon, and Knock, with ever improving ground infrastructure, the Irish government and local authorities plan to alleviate urban problems, by decentralising to growing... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Cavan Code: CN Area: 1,931 km² Population (2006) 63,961 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Longford Code: LD Area: 1,091 km² Population (2006) 34,361 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Navan Code: MH Area: 2,342 km² Population (2006) 162,831 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Tullamore Code: OY Area: 1,999 km² Population (2006) 70,604 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Connacht County Town: Roscommon Code: RN Area: 2,547 km² (983 mi²) Population (2006) 58,700 County Roscommon (Irish: ) is a county located in central Ireland. ...

Infrastructure

• Midlands (ATM) Gateway
• National Development Plan
• Transport 21
• Platform 11

// Midlands or Lake-Counties Gateway Midlands or Lake-Counties Gateway Midlands Gateway & Tri-Pole Populations Midlands Gateway Popular Routes Centered between the major Irish airports, as Dublin, Shannon, and Knock, with ever improving ground infrastructure, the Irish government and local authorities plan to alleviate urban problems, by decentralising to growing... The National Development Plan was created to develop Irelands infrastructure to help invest the rewards from the economic success of the Celtic Tiger National Development Plan (NDP) is the title given by the Irish Government to a scheme of organised large-scale expenditure on (mainly) national infrastructure. ... Platform 11 is a rail transport pressure group in Ireland whose agenda is centred on the idea that there is an economic case for expanding rail transport in Ireland though better utilization of existing infrastructure with only justified expansion of existing routes. ...

Westmeath cattle

Above, Charolais, Limousine, Hereford:
Mullingar Heifers

As the Golden Vale is to dairy produce, Mullingar Cattle are farmed for their high quality beef, veal, fattened upon the plains of Meath and Westmeath. Much of the countries weaned cattle, in particular, cattle from west of the Shannon, west of Athlone, arrive upon the Westmeath, Meath grasslands, for final fattening before they are conditioned for human consumption. This is also true to a lesser extent for other neighbouring counties, Cavan and Offaly pastures.
Such is the recognition of the beef quality produced in the area, popular sayings ring on from generation to generation, and one in particular: Beef to the heel like a Mullingar Heifer The saying coined, referred not the heifer beef quality, but to the attractive, well proportioned, and well shaped adolescent girls of a courting age.
These cattle are also employed to maintain grassland for wildlife for example, within the surrounding areas fringing the Bog of Allen. They are often used in some of the wildest places for livestock. Depending upon their breed, certain cattle are more suited to hill grazing, heaths, marshes, and moors. Today, consequential to specialisation certain tendencies have become more visible in Irish farm practices. Breeds of bovine cows have become more commercial than older breeds. Breeds, such as Charolais, ^[1] Limuosine,^[1] Normande, ^[2] also known popularly as Short-horn, Aberdeen Angus, and Hereford,^[3] for meet consumption are those most likely to be encountered in this area. As there are exceptions to all rules, there are also Holstein^[4] dairy farms that possess milk quotas, who supply the dairy industry.
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 1. ... Situated in the Southwest region of Ireland, on the borders of counties Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. ... Carrick-on-Shannon-Bridge Leitrim Shannon-Bridge Offaly The River Shannon (Irish: altenatively Sionna), Irelands longest river, divides the West of Ireland (mostly the province of Connacht) from the east and south (Leinster and most of Munster). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N033420 Statistics Province: Leinster & Connaught County: Dáil Éireann: Westmeath European Parliament: East Dialling Code: 090, +353 90 Elevation: 56 m Population (2006) 16,888 Town: 6,970 Rural: 9,918  Website: www. ... Meath (An Mhí in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, the county is often informally called The Royal County. ... An Inner Mongolia Grassland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Cavan Code: CN Area: 1,931 km² Population (2006) 63,961 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Tullamore Code: OY Area: 1,999 km² Population (2006) 70,604 Website: www. ... The Bog of Allen (Móin Alúine in Irish) is a large peat bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon. ...

Typical Westmeath Bovine Grazing Stock

• Limousine
• Charolais
• Hereford

Limousin cattle are a breed of beef cattle originally bred in the Limousin and Marche regions of France. ... Charolais Bull Charolais cows Charolais cattle (pronounced shärə-lā) are a beef breed of cattle (Bos taurus) which originated in Charolais, around Charolles, in France. ... A Hereford Bull A de-horned Hereford Bull A genetically-polled Hereford Bull Hereford cattle are a widely-used breed in temperate areas, mainly for beef production. ...

The Westmeath Horse

Barbavilla Stud Horses
Collinstown Westmeath

Westmeath contains many stud farms. The animals are reared on the pastures allowing the bone structure to grow and form correctly. The rich plains of Westmeath, rich in calcium, marl contribute significantly to calcification of the foals bones during the formation years. Westmeath mares are put into foal preferably in spring so that the foal may grow through the summer, pregnancy lasts for approximately 335-340 days and usually results in one foal (male: colt, female: filly). Twins occur very rarely. Colts are usually carried 2-7 days longer than fillies. Females 4 years and older are called mares and males are called stallions.
Note: A castrated male is a gelding.
Horses, particularly colts, may sometimes be physically capable of reproduction at approximately 18 months but in practice are rarely allowed to breed until a minimum age of 3 or 4 years old, especially females or mares. When these Westmeath horses are about four years old, they are considered mature, even though the skeleton usually continues to develop until the animal is six years old, and the precise time of completion of development also depends on the horse's size (therefore a connection to breed exists), gender, and the quality of care provided by its owner. Also, if the horse is larger, its bones are larger; therefore, not only do the bones take longer to actually form bone tissue (bones are made of cartilage in earlier stages of bone formation), but the epiphyseal plates (two plates that fuse a bone into one piece by connecting the bone shaft to the bone extremities) are also larger and take longer to convert from cartilage to bone. These plates convert after the other parts of the bones do but are crucial to development.
Depending on maturity, breed and the tasks expected, young horses are usually put under saddle and trained to be ridden between the ages of two and four. Although Thoroughbred and Irish Draught^[5] three quarter bred horse, for show jumping, and race horses are put on the track early as two years old, by some horses proprietors. These horses of the lake districts, (north of the county), are specifically bred for sports such as show jumping and dressage are generally not entered into top-level competition until a minimum age of four years old, because their bones and muscles are not solidly developed, nor is their advanced training complete.
For endurance riding competition, certain horses may not compete until they are a full 60 calendar months (5 years) old. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 711 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 711 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Marls are calcium carbonate or lime rich muds or mudstones which contain variable amounts of clays and calcite or aragonite. ... The term Colt, when used by itself, can refer to: A firearm produced by Colts Manufacturing Company, founded by Samuel Colt. ... Mare may mean any of several things: A mare is a female horse. ... A stallion is an ungelded male horse after reaching the age of sexual maturity, usually between two and three years of age. ... A gelding is a castrated animal—in English, a castrated male horse. ... Mare may mean any of several things: A mare is a female horse. ... For the processor with the same codename , see Athlon. ... Irish horses are renowned for being the best hunters in the worldand none more so than those produced by crossing Thooroughbred with Irish Draught. ...

References

Images

Mapa Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (945x594, 81 KB) Mullingar, Sub-urban, Software Generated Image, For Public Domain with original details, Date: 01/01: 2007. ...	Cosán tarraingthe canála Image File history File links Canal_Mullingar_01. ...	Christ the King Mullingar Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 925 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... // Christ the King Mullingar The cathedral Christ the King Mullingar is situated near the city centre of Mullingar next to the canal, and over-sees the local Garda Siochana base on Marys street. ...	The Round-about, Castlepollard Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 1. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...
Twin Towers, Christ the King Mullingar Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 701 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	Saint Peter's & Pauls Athlone St. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N033420 Statistics Province: Leinster & Connaught County: Dáil Éireann: Westmeath European Parliament: East Dialling Code: 090, +353 90 Elevation: 56 m Population (2006) 16,888 Town: 6,970 Rural: 9,918  Website: www. ...	Austin Friars An Muileann gCearr Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	Bothar Mor Mullingar Centre Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
Celtic Cross at Columb Military Barracks, Mullingar Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,112 × 2,816 pixels, file size: 2. ...	Lough Derravaragh & Knockeyon Image File history File links Knockeyon_07. ... Lough Derravaragh Lough Derravaragh is an Irish lough (lake) in County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, north of Mullingar and close to Castlepollard and Multifarnham. ... Knockeyon (Cnoic Eoghain), when viewed from the Ranaghan, and Gillards-town side of the hill, it dominates the surrounding lakes in the countryside of northern County Westmeath. ...	Lough Ennell Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Categories: Ireland-place stubs ...	Hill of Ben Fore Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,600 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 260 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... Situated between Lough Glore and Lough Lene, and Lough Ban, the Hill of Ben dominates the valley where Fore abbey was built by De Lacy for the French Benedictine monks. ...
Columb Baracks, Mullingar Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 1. ...	19th. Century concrete Stile, Image File history File links Style. ...	19th. concrete Stile,(v1)Mass-Path, Ranaghan, Collinstown Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 1. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...	Alternative 19th Century concrete Stile (v-2) chemin de la messe, Ranaghan, Collinstown Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 1. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...
Bell of Lough Lene Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...	Sun-set Lough Lene Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 851 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	The Cut Lough Lene Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	Dublin/Mullingar Train Image File history File links Dublin_Mullingar_Train. ...
Kiloutou, An Muileann gCearr (Mullingar) Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,816 × 2,112 pixels, file size: 883 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Template:-Information= Paneau de Mullingar Westmeath File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... For the place in Canada, see Mullingar, Saskatchewan. ...

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 438 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,289 × 1,254 pixels, file size: 330 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

External links

• Westmeath Census information
• Westmeath Community Development
• STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE MIDLANDS GATEWAY; Census stastics page 27
• Athlone Advertiser and Mullingar Advertiser local newspapers
• Local job vacancy listings online
• Westmeath County Council
• Westmeath Tourism
• Westmeath Enterprise
• Westmeath Examiner (Local Newspaper)
• Tullamore Life & Community
• Westmeath Bands