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Leinster

Leinster
Laighin
Flag of Leinster
Flag
Location of Leinster
State Republic of Ireland Ireland
Counties Carlow
Dublin
Kildare
Kilkenny
Laois
Longford
Louth
Meath
Offaly
Westmeath
Wexford
Wicklow
Government
 • Teachtaí Dála 29 Fine Gael TDs
17 Fianna Fáil TDs
14 Sinn Féin TDs
8 Independent TDs
5 Labour Party TDs
5 AAA-PBP TDs
3 Social Democrats TDs
Area
 • Total 19,800 km2 (7,644 sq mi)
Population (2016)
 • Total 2,630,720 (1st)
 • Density 126.5/km2 (328/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code IE-L
Patron Saint: Brigid

Leinster (/ˈlɛnstər/Irish: Laighin / Cúige Laigheanpronounced [ˈl̪ˠaːjɪnʲ]) is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled both, thereby forming the present-day province of Leinster. The ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes. In later centuries, local government legislation has seen further sub-division of the historic counties.

Leinster has no official function for local-government purposes. However, the province is an officially recognised subdivision of Ireland. It is listed on ISO 3166-2 as one of the four provinces of Ireland and "IE-L" is attributed to Leinster as its country sub-division code.

Leinster had a population of 2,630,720 according to the preliminary results of the 2016 census, making it the most populous province in the country. The traditional flag of Leinster features a golden harp on a green background.


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