WESTMEATH

Irish An Iarmh county in the province of Leinster, central Ireland. It is bounded by Counties Cavan (north), Meath (east), Offaly (south), Roscommon (west), and Longford (northwest). The western boundary is the lower part of Lough (lake) Ree and the River Shannon, but elsewhere the county's limits wind through the central lowland, except at Lough Sheelin in the north. The county's terrain is largely undulating and about 200400 feet (60120 m) above sea level; in the south are numerous long, narrow glacial ridges called eskers. Westmeath was the north Teffia part of the ancient kingdom of Meath, Longford being south Teffia. With the Anglo-Norman conquest in the 12th century, it became part of the de Lacy earldom of Meath, but it was not intensively Anglicized, and the Irish held their ground. In 1241 the earldom lost its unity, and, with the deterioration of the English hold on Ireland, the western part of the earldom passed out of government control. Following the 16th-century reconquest of Ireland, Westmeath was separated from Meath in 1541 and ultimately passed into the hands of English landlords. The town of Athlone had military importance as a key to the crossing of the River Shannon. Mullingar is the seat of the county council and a principal industrial town, along with Athlone. The county is largely pastoral, and young cattle are brought in from west of the Shannon for fattening. The main road to Galway runs to the Shannon crossing at Athlone. Area 681 square miles (1,763 square km). Pop. (1991) 61,880.