An Iarmhí · Leinster
Henry II granted the kingdom of Meath to Hugh de Lacy in 1172. When de Lacy's male line failed in 1241 the lordship was split between two great-granddaughters, and the parts were reunited in 1461. The east lay inside the Pale, but the west had become Gaelic again by the 14th century and was beyond the sheriff's reach, so in 1543 the Irish parliament divided the county: the east kept the name Meath and the west became Westmeath, with a new shire town at Mullingar.
| Province | Leinster |
|---|---|
| County town | Mullingar |
| Population | 95,840 (2022) |
| Area (km²) | 1,840 |
| Population change in the Famine, 1841–51 | -21% |
| Daily Irish speakers | 632 (2022) |
| Highest point (m) | 258 — Mullaghmeen |
| Townlands | 1,349 |
| Baronies | 12 |
| Civil parishes | 63 |
| Recorded monuments | 4,540 |
| Ringforts | 1,563 |
| Holy wells | 72 |
| Historic buildings recorded | 1,617 |
| Castles on the site | 12 |
| Battles and sieges | 4 |
| Workhouses | 2 |
| Railway stations (with an article) | 5 |
| Olympic medallists born here | 1 |
| Towns on the site | 3 |
| Surnames on the site | 18 |
Every figure is from a page on myireland.ie that names its source — see https://myireland.ie/counties/westmeath/. Printed from myireland.ie, the atlas of Irish history.