County Dossier
Westmeath
A midland county of lakes, plains and royal inheritance.
Westmeath occupies the central midlands, a landscape of lakes, pasture and broad level country stretching westward from the old heartland of Meath.
At a glance
Westmeath at a glance
A midland county of lakes, plains and royal inheritance.
- Western half of the old kingdom of Meath
- Lough Ree, Mullingar lakes and central plains
- Viking presence (9th c.)
- Area: 710 sq miles / 1,839 km²
- Population: 86,164
- County Top: Mullaghmeen 856ft / 261m
County Geography
Westmeath meets Longford to the north, Cavan to the north-east, Meath to the east, Offaly to the south, and Roscommon across the Shannon to the west. The county is shaped by the western river line, the central chain of lakes, and the broad midland plain that lies between them.
Lake district, midland plain, and the Shannon-side west give Westmeath a strong and readable county form.
Map Reference
View Westmeath on the map
Westmeath is the county. The map shows its boundary, places, and neighbouring counties.
The county.
The county boundary.
Nearby counties and places.
Places and routes
Mullingar, Athlone, Castlepollard, Kilbeggan, and Moate show the county from its lake-centred heart to its western Shannon side and southern approach.
Connections
The county’s routes have long crossed through Mullingar and Athlone, linked the lake district with the Shannon crossing, and run south-east through Kilbeggan. Movement follows the same lake, plain, and river-edge pattern.
Names
- Westmeath
- County Westmeath
- County of Westmeath
- Contae An Iarmhí
An Iarmhí is the Irish form of Westmeath. County Westmeath is the formal historical style, the county name marks the western half of the older Meath territory, and the naming itself preserves that separation within the broader Mide inheritance.
Westmeath was created as a county in 1543, but its combination of lakes, plains, and Shannon-side ground has long given it a distinct frame. That midland lake-and-river geography still gives the historic county a clear shape.
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County Reference
Explore Westmeath
Open the map to explore Westmeath, or return to the county index to browse other counties.