WESTMEATH, an inland co. of the province of Leinster, Ireland, bounded on the n. by the counties of Cavan and Meath, on the e. by Meath, on the s. by the King's county, and on the w. by Roscommon. It lies between n. lat. 53° 8' and 53° 48'; and w. long. 6° 54' and 7° 55'. Its greatest length, n. and s., is 35 m., and the greatest breadth is 25 m.; the total area being 708 m., or 453,468 acres, of which 365,218 are arable, 56,392 uncultivated, 8,803 in plantations, 628 in towns, and 22,427 under water. The pop. in 1851 was 111,109; in '61, 90,879; in '71, 78,432, of whom 71,765 were Catholics, 5,997 Protestant Episcopalians, and the rest Protestants of other denominations. The surface is for the most part level, the hilly district, which is in the n. of the county, not reaching at any point a higher elevation than 710 feet. Nevertheless, owing to the number of lakes, and the large extent of wood in some districts, the scenery is in many places highly picturesque. Geologically, Westmeath belongs to the great central limestone series; yellow sandstone only occurring in two very limited districts. Of the numerous lakes which diversify the surface, one chain belongs to the basin of the Shannon, which river, with its lakes, forms the western boundary, and separates Westmeath from Ros common; the other, toward the e., flows into the basin of the Boyne. The Shannon is navigable for steamboats throughout that portion of its course which bounds this county; and the inland navigation is further provided for by the Royal canal, which traverses Westmeath from e. to w., and by a branch of the Grand canal. The county is also traversed by the Midland and Great Western railway. The climate is mild and not
very moist. The soil it a deep loam, producing herbage especially suited to the fatten ing of cattle, which are largely fed; sheep also are fed, but not in the same proportion, as are also horses and pigs. There is little tillage, and almost the only cereal crop is oats. The total acreage under crops of all kinds in 1878 was 93,409, oats being the chief crop; but scarcely a fourth part of the county is under crops, much of the area being lake and bog, and a great deal of the arable land having gone out of cultivation during the last twenty years. In addition to weekly markets, upward of 70 fairs are held at different seasons of the year throughout the county. The net annual value of property under the valuation act is £314,701. is divided into twelve baronies. The chief towns are the assize town and capital, Mullingar (q.v.), Moate, and Athlone, which is partly in the county of Roscommon. It returns three mIlmbers to the imperial parlia ment, two for the county and one for the borough of Athlone. The constituency in 1875-76 numbered 3,552. The number of pupils at the national schools in 1877 was 14,275. Westmeath anciently formed a portion of the kingdom of Meath (q.v.), but in the 34th of VIII. it was erected into a separate county, and at first included Longford (q.v.) and part of the King's county (q.v.). Many antiquities of the Anglo Norman period, and some of the Celtic, chiefly tumuli and raths, are found in this inter esting and picturesque county.