County Westmeath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| County Westmeath Contae na hIarmhí |
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| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Leinster | |
| County seat: | Mullingar | |
| Code: | WH | |
| Area: | 1,764 km² | |
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Population (2006) |
79,403 | |
| Website: www.westmeathcoco.ie | ||
County Westmeath (Irish: Contae na hIarmhí) is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the historic kingdom and province of Mide. Westmeath was created under The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1543. The hill of Uisneach in the medieval Barony of Moycashel is generally accepted as the notional geographical centre of Ireland.
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[edit] Geography
County Westmeath is bordered by the counties of Cavan, Longford, Meath, Offaly and Roscommon.
[edit] Towns and villages
Towns and villages in County Westmeath include:
- Mullingar, the county town
- Athlone, Ballymore
- Castlepollard, Castletown-Geoghegan, Collinstown, Coole
- Delvin
- Finnea, Fore
- Glassan
- Horseleap
- Kilbeggan, Killucan, Kinnegad
- Moate, Multyfarnham
- Raharney, Rochfortbridge, Rosemount
[edit] Administration
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1653 | 12,090 | — |
| 1659 | 12,672 | 4.8% |
| 1821 | 128,819 | 916.6% |
| 1831 | 136,872 | 6.3% |
| 1841 | 141,300 | 3.2% |
| 1851 | 111,407 | −21.2% |
| 1861 | 90,879 | −18.4% |
| 1871 | 78,432 | −13.7% |
| 1881 | 71,798 | −8.5% |
| 1891 | 65,109 | −9.3% |
| 1901 | 61,629 | −5.3% |
| 1911 | 59,986 | −2.7% |
| 1926 | 56,818 | −5.3% |
| 1936 | 54,706 | −3.7% |
| 1946 | 54,949 | 0.4% |
| 1951 | 54,463 | −0.9% |
| 1956 | 54,122 | −0.6% |
| 1961 | 52,861 | −2.3% |
| 1966 | 52,900 | 0.1% |
| 1971 | 53,570 | 1.3% |
| 1979 | 59,885 | 11.8% |
| 1981 | 61,523 | 2.7% |
| 1986 | 63,379 | 3.0% |
| 1991 | 61,880 | −2.4% |
| 1996 | 63,314 | 2.3% |
| 2002 | 71,858 | 13.5% |
| 2006 | 79,346 | 10.4% |
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Westmeath County Council offices are at the County Building in Mullingar. There are currently 22 councillors. The five electoral areas of Westmeath are Athlone (7 seats), Coole (3 seats), Kilbeggan (3 seats), Mullingar East (4 seats) and Mullingar West (5 seats).[2] 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.[2]
[edit] Demography
Westmeath’s population growth has been stronger than the national average. [3] After the Great Famine, the population of Westmeath declined dramatically. It stablized in the middle of the last century, and has continued to grow. Westmeath's proximity to Dublin, with good motorway facilities and frequent rail service has made commuting popular. The county town of Mullingar which has a population approaching twenty thousand. Athlone, Moate, Kilbeggan, and Castlepollard are important commercial and marketing centres.
[edit] Economy
Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and it's strategic location on the main Dublin-Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar gained considerable advantage from the development of the Royal Canal. The canal facilitated cheap transport for 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 centred on its many water amenities. The county lakes include Lough Derravaragh, Lough Ennell, Lough Lene, Lough Owel and Lough Ree. Both the Grand Canal, and the Royal Canal flow through Westmeath, and the the River Shannon (Ireland's key tourism waterway) has a modern inland harbour in Athlone.
The development of industry in Westmeath was mainly based on food processing and consumer products. Whiskey is distilled in Kilbeggan and tobacco is processed in Mullingar. The extensive beef and dairy trade reflects the rich agricultural produce of the county. In recent times, the manufacturer Élan 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, and around Leixlip, County Kildare.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Agriculture
[edit] Westmeath Cattle
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.
[edit] Westmeath Horses
Collinstown Westmeath
Westmeath is home to many stud farms. The plains of Westmeath, covered in calcium-rich marl, 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 around four years old.
[edit] People
Notable Westmeath natives include:
- Michael O'Leary CEO of Ryanair
- Joe Dolan
- Marian Finucane
- Nuala Holloway, artist and former Miss Ireland
- Donie Cassidy, impresario and Senator
- The Blizzards, musicians
[edit] Sport
Westmeath's is an active sporting county. Westmeath GAA won the Leinster Senior Football Championship, and the Delaney Cup, in 2004. It won Christy Ring Cup for hurling in 2005 and 2007.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ [http://www.cso.ie/census for post 1821 figures, 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy March 14 1865, For a discussion on he accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee “On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses Irish Population, Economy and Society edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54, in and also New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850 by Joel Mokyr and Cormac O Grada in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov., 1984), pp. 473-488.
- ^ a b "About Us". Westmeath County Council. http://www.westmeathcoco.ie/aboutUs/index.asp. Retrieved on 2008-06-28.
- ^ "Demographic context". Offaly County Council Development Plan 2009 - 2015. http://www.offaly.ie/NR/rdonlyres/A4AD027E-87E4-4353-917B-47C75D92768F/1095/Chapter2ContextandChallenges_FEB08.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-06-28.
[edit] External links
- Westmeath Census information
- Westmeath Community Development
- STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE MIDLANDS GATEWAY; Census statistics page 27
- Athlone Advertiser and Mullingar Advertiser local newspapers
- Local job vacancy listings online
- Westmeath Enterprise
- Westmeath Examiner (Local Newspaper)
- Tullamore Life & Community
- Westmeath Bands
- Ardnagrath National School Website
- Rosemount GAA Website
- westmeath showcase news for westmeath
[edit] Images
 Mapa |
 Cosán tarraingthe canála |
 The Round-about, Castlepollard |
 An Muileann gCearr |
 Twin Towers, |
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 Saint Peter's & Pauls |
 Austin Friars An Muileann gCearr |
 Bothar Mor Mullingar Centre |
 The channel An Muileann gCearr |
 Celtic Cross at Columb |
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 Hill of Ben Fore |
 Columb Baracks, Mullingar |
 19th. Century concrete Stile, |
 19th. concrete Stile,(v1)Mass-Path, Ranaghan, Collinstown |
 Alternative 19th Century concrete Stile (v-2) chemin de la messe, Ranaghan, Collinstown |
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 Bell of Lough Lene |
 Turgesius Island, Lough Lene |
 Sun-set Lough Lene |
 The Cut Lough Lene |
 Dublin/Mullingar Train |
 Kiloutou, An Muileann gCearr (Mullingar) |
 Athlone |
 Delvin Castle, |
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