Westmeath

Names prominent in this county include: Carberry, Carbery, Carey, Caron, Carron, Cofey, Coffey, Coleman, Corrigan, Curry, Cury, Dailey, Daley, Dalton, Daly, Dease, Delamere, Dillon, Dilon, Dooley, Fay, Fenlon, Fitzsimon, Fox, Furey, Glynn, Growney, Hanly, Hennesay, MacAuley, MacCaron, MacCarron, Ma Geoghegan, MacGhee, MacGlyn, Mac Glynn, MacAuley, MacCaron, MacCarron, MacGeoghegan, MacGhee, MacGlynn, Malone, McAuley, McCaron, McCarron, McGeoghegan, McGhee, McGlyn, McGlynn, McAuley, McAuley, McCaron, McCarron, McEvoy, McGee, McGeoghegan, McGeoghegan, McGhee, McGlynn, Melaghlin, Mulcady, Mulleady, Nugent, O'Carberry, O'Carbery, O'Cofey, O'Coffey, O'Curry, O'Cury, O'Daley, O'Daly, O'Day, O'Furey, O'Growney, O'Hanrahan, O'Higgins, O'Kearney, O'Melaghlin, O'Mulleady, O'Scully, Toler, Tuit, Tuite, Tyrel, Tyrell, Tyrrel, Tyrrell

A landlocked county that is traditionally one of the smallest counties in Ireland, Westmeath was once part of the historical Kingdom of Mide and, later, part of the historical kingdom of Leinster. Known affectionally as the ”heart of Ireland” --although not the geographic center of Ireland Westmeath straddles the borderlands between the five ancient kingdoms of Ireland-- Westmeath’s pre-Christian kings held court at Uisneagh Hill. Westmeath was officially severed from Meath in the mid 16th century as part of the Shire system. Over the next century and a half most of Westmeath’s Gaelic chiefs lost their land. Centuries later the county is still littered with fortifications from the Cromwellian era. Despite its stormy history, Westmeath is still considered one of Ireland's most beautiful counties and as early as the 19th century famous Dubliners would head to Westmeath in the Summer to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big town. - notes by Sarah Nagle

One of a series of Irish District tartans designed (and copyrighted) by Polly Wittering of the House of Edgar in 1995. This is not an 'officially sanctioned' District tartan but has proven popular.