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County Westmeath () is a county situated in the Irish Midlands, also popularly called the "Lake county" and the "great county" in the western part of the province of Leinster. Area: 1,764 km². The county was once part of the ancient province of Meath and later of County Meath, this association was ended in 1543 when County Westmeath was created under the Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act.
Mullingar with a population 18,529 is the urban and county administrative centre, while being the largest ubban district of the county. Athlone (population 16,888), Mote, Kilbeggan, and Castlepollard are also important commerce and marketing urban activity centres within the county.
The county is famous for its cattle, lakes such as Lough Derravaragh, Lough Ennell, Lough Lene, Lough Owel and Lough Ree, pewter such as Mullingar Pewter, scenery, the canal, the drug company élan and is rapidly becoming part of the outer commuter belt of Dublin. Another local chieftain called Melaghlin, acclaimed to have drowned Turgesius the viking in Lough Owel.
According to the Irish Independent, 12 December 2006, Westmeath is the goat capital of Ireland, with five times as many goats as Kerry.
Notable Westmeath people include Michael O'Leary the CEO of Ryanair, Joe Dolan and Nuala Holloway, former Miss Ireland, model and actress, now artist and academic.
Westmeath's main achievements in Gaelic Games were winning the Leinster Senior Football Championship, or Delaney Cup, in 2004, and winning the Christy Ring Cup in hurling in 2005.
<gallery> Image:Mullingar 01 area.JPG|Mapa Image:Canal Mullingar_01.JPG|Cosán tarraingthe canála
Image:Christ_le_Roi_Mullingar.JPG|Christ the King Mullingar Image:Castlepollard_01.JPG|The Round-about, Castlepollard Image:Moulin_%C3%A0_Pierre.jpg|An Muileann gCearr Image:Les_tours_Christ_le_Roi_Mullingar.jpg|Twin Towers ,<br> Christ the King <br>Mullingar Image:SmallStPetersAthlone.jpg|Saint Peter's & Pauls <br>Athlone Image:Athlone_Ireland_and_river_Shannon.jpg|Athlone-on-Shannon Image:Austin_Friars_01.jpg|Austin Friars An Muileann gCearr Image:Mullingar_Centre.jpg|Bothar Mor Mullingar Centre Image:Canal_%C3%A0_Mullingar.jpg|The channel An Muileann gCearr Image:Celtic_Cross_Columb_Barracks_Mullingar.JPG|Celtic Cross at Columb <br> Military Barracks, Mullingar Image:Knockeyon_07.jpg|Lough Derravaragh & Knockeyon Image:Lough_ennell_ireland.png|Lough Ennell Image:Hill_of_Ben_Fore.JPG| Hill of Ben Fore Image:Plaque_de_la_caserne_Columb_Mullingar.JPG|Columb Baracks, Mullingar Image :Style.JPG|19th. Century concrete Stile, Image:Stile_01_Ranaghan.jpg|19th. concrete Stile,(v1)Mass-Path, Ranaghan, Collinstown Image:Stile_02_Ranaghan.jpg|Alternative 19th Century concrete Stile (v-2) chemin de la messe, Ranaghan, Collinstown Image:Lough_Lene_Bell_Riplica.JPG|Bell of Lough Lene Image:Lough_Lene_%26_Turgesius_island.jpg|Turgesius Island, Lough Lene Image:Couché_de_Soleil_Lough_Lene.jpg|Sun-set Lough Lene Image:Lough_Lene_bathing.JPG|The Cut Lough Lene Image:Dublin_Mullingar_Train.JPG|Dublin/Mullingar Train Image:An_Muileann_gCearr.JPG|Kiloutou, An Muileann gCearr (Mullingar) </gallery>