County Meath

County Meath (Irish: Contae na Mí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide (in Gaelic Mide means "middle"). 184,135 people lived in the county according to the 2011 census.[1] The county town is Navan, this is where the county hall and government are located. Trim used to be the county town.

Contae na Mí
Coat of arms of County Meath
 
Location of County Meath
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
Dáil ÉireannMeath East
Meath West
Louth
EU ParliamentMidlands–North-West
County townNavan
Government
 • TypeCounty Council
Area
 • Total2,342 km2 (904 sq mi)
 • Rank14th
Population
 (2016)
194,942
 • Rank9th
Vehicle index
mark code
MH
Websitewww.meath.ie
Trim Castle, Trim

The River Boyne flows through the county.

Main towns

  1. Navan 28,559 people
  2. Ashbourne 11,355 people
  3. Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington 10,889 people
  4. Ratoath 9,043 people
  5. Trim 8,268 people
  6. Dunboyne 6,959 people
  7. Kells 5,888 people
  8. Duleek 3,988 people
  9. Dunshaughlin 3,903 people
  10. Stamullen 3,130 people

History

The county is sometimes known by the nickname "The Royal County" because of its history as the seat of the High King of Ireland.[2][3][4]

County Meath formed the eastern part of the former Kingdom of Mide. The seat of the High King of Ireland was at Tara which is not far from Navan.

The archaeological complex of Brú na Bóinne is 5,000 years old. It includes the burial sites of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, in the north-east of the county. It is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.

Economy

The county has a lot of farms, mainly cattle, dairying, potatoes and grain. Meath is Ireland's leading county producer of potatoes, and a significant producer of beef, barley, milk, wheat, and root vegetables. Europe's largest underground lead-zinc mine, Tara Mines, has operated since 1977, at a location to the west of Navan.

Main roads in Meath

  • The M1 motorway linking Dublin and Belfast
  • The N2 / M2 motorway linking Dublin and Derry
  • The N3 / M3 motorway linking Dublin and Cavan
  • The N4 / M4 motorway linking Dublin and Sligo

Places of interest

County Meath Media

References

  1. "Census 2011 - County Meath Overview". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  2. Meath County Council. "Meath - a rich and royal land". Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  3. countymeath.com. "County Meath - Newgrange, Slane Castle and the Book of Kells". Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  4. Rowan Kelleher, Suzanne (2004). Frommer's Ireland from $80 a Day (20th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: Wiley Publishing, Inc. p. 204. ISBN 0-7645-4217-6. Retrieved 21 May 2010.

Other websites