County Westmeath
Area:	1,838 km²
Capital:	Mullingar
Code:	WH
Population:	71,858 (2002)
Province:	Leinster

County Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) is a county situated in the Irish Midlands, in the western part of the province of Leinster. Area: 1,838 km² (710 square miles).

Athlone (pop. 15,936) on the River Shannon, Westmeath's western boundary, is the largest town, while Mullingar (pop. 15,621) is the county's administrative centre.

Other notable towns and villages in county westmeath include:

• Castlepollard
• Moate
• Kilbeggan, Kinnegad, Killucan
• Rochfordbridge
• Tyrrellspass

The county is famous for its cattle, lakes such as Lough Owel, pewter such as Mullingar Pewter, scenery, the canal, the drug company Elán and is rapidly becoming part of the commuter belt of Dublin. The county was once part of the ancient province of Meath and later of County Meath.

The main towns in County Westmeath are shown on this map of the county.

Notable Westmeath people include Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ryanair; Joe Dolan, a popular singer; Donie Cassidy, a well-known businessman and TD; and Mary O'Rourke, a senator and former Government minister.

External links

• Westmeath County Council (http://www.westmeathcoco.ie)
• Westmeath Tourism (http://www.westmeathtourism.com)
• Westmeath Enterprise (http://www.westmeath-enterprise.ie)
• Westmeath Examiner (Local Newspaper) (http://www.unison.ie/westmeath_examiner)

	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)
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