Westmeath Contae na hIarmhí
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Motto: Triath ós Triathaibh (Irish) "Noble above nobility" |
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Country | Ireland | |
Province | Leinster | |
Dáil Éireann | Longford–Westmeath | |
EU Parliament | Midlands–North-West | |
County town | Mullingar | |
Government | ||
• Type | County Council | |
Area | ||
• Total | 1,840 km2 (710 sq mi) | |
Area rank | 21st | |
Population (2016) | 88,396 | |
• Rank | 22nd | |
Vehicle index mark code |
WH | |
Website | www |
County Westmeath (/wɛstˈmiːð/ west-MEEDH; Irish: Contae na hIarmhí or simply An Iarmhí) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Midlands Region. It originally formed part of the historic Kingdom of Meath (Midhe). It was named Mide because kingdom was located in middle of Ireland (the word Mide means middle).Westmeath County Council is the government for the county, the capital is Mullingar. The population of the county is 88,396.
Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the territory of the Kingdom of Meath was subsumed into the Lordship of Meath and granted by King Henry II of England, in his capacity as Lord of Ireland, to Hugh de Lacy in 1172. Following the failure of male heirs, the Lordship was split between de Lacy's great-granddaughters. The western part was awarded to Margery and her husband, John de Verdun, son of Walter de Lacy while the eastern part, centred on Trim, was awarded to Maud.