County Monaghan - Definition and Overview

County Monaghan
Area:	1,294 km²
Capital:	Monaghan
Code:	MN
Population:	52,593 (2002)
Province:	Ulster

Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) is a county in the Republic of Ireland. It is one of three counties situated in the province of Ulster without being part of Northern Ireland. The name comes from the Irish, derived from Muine Cheain meaning the Land of the little hills. This name refers to the density of drumlins in the area, those small hills formed from glacial action (during a previous ice age).

Monaghan is the principal town. Other major towns include Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, and Clones.

Monaghan is the birthplace of the poet and writer Patrick Kavanagh, who based much of his work in the county. Kavanagh is one of the most significant figures in mid 20th century Irish Poetry. The poem Stony Grey Soil refers to the county.

	Traditional counties of Ireland
Connacht: Galway | Leitrim | Mayo | Roscommon | Sligo
Munster: Clare | Cork | Kerry | Limerick | Tipperary | Waterford
Leinster: Carlow | Dublin | Kildare | Kilkenny | Laois | Longford | Louth | Meath | Offaly | Westmeath | Wexford | Wicklow
Ulster: Antrim * | Armagh * | Cavan | Donegal | Down * | Fermanagh * | Londonderry * | Monaghan | Tyrone *
* Counties in Northern Ireland (other counties are in the Republic of Ireland)
edit this box (http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Template:Ireland_counties)