County Meath

County Meath () 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. The county town is Navan, this is where the county hall and government are located. Trim used to be the county town. 

The River Boyne flows through the county.

 Main towns 

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

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
 The Hill of Tara, an ancient historical site.
 Castles at Trim, Slane (private), Dunsany (limited opening), Killeen (A Hotel).
 Religious ruins at Trim (two), Bective, Slane (two), Dunsany, Skryne (Skreen).
 2500-year-old mound structures of disputed origin at Teltown.  Teltown is home to Ireland's pre-Olympic Games, which some records date back to 1869 BCE.
 Brú na Bóinne Unesco World Heritage Site.
 Loughcrew, an ancient historical site.

References

Other websites

Meath County Council
Meath Tourism 
CSO Website
County Meath History Geography map guide