Border Region

[3] The region's population growth is split along east–west lines, owing to the more easterly border counties' proximity to Dublin.

The Border Region contains a number of nationally significant Gaeltacht areas, such as Gweedore, Na Rosa and Tory Island.

The percentage of Irish speakers by county is: Leitrim (40%), Sligo (39.9%), Monghan (37.6%) Donegal (37.1%) and Cavan (34.6%).

Tourism to the Border Region, while continuing to grow in significance, is hindered by poor infrastructure.

[13] The region is largely rural, characterized by typically much smaller farms than seen in the Mid-East or Mid-West.

A study by the European Committee of the Regions found that Ireland's border counties were the most exposed in Europe to the economic effects of Brexit.

Cavan and Monaghan in the east of the region are characterized by a drumlin landscape, with hundreds of loughs interspersed between.

[17] The region traditionally had a very low cover forest and planting schemes were undertaken by the Department of Agriculture or state-sponsored bodies such as Coillte.

While the region generally experiences mild winters, upland areas, particularly in Donegal, typically receive snowfall each year.

The region is generally underlain by Ordovician and Silurian Shales and Greywackes, laid down 417-495 million years ago.

The bedrock of western Cavan, Leitrim and Sligo is composed mostly of Carboniferous limestones that were laid roughly 355 million years ago.

However, a 1.5 billion year old narrow strip of metamorphosed gneisses extend across Sligo near the Ox Mountains.

Much of the county is underlain by Precambrian gneiss, schist and quartzite, laid down during the Grenvillian Orogeny 700 million years ago.

Ireland's oldest rocks, laid down 1.78 billion years ago, are found on the island of Inishtrahull.

Owing to its scenic and rugged landscape, Donegal was named National Geographic's "Coolest place on the Planet" in 2017.

The Irish Defence Forces utilise a military landing strip at Finner Camp in South Donegal.

The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway was the main rail line operating in part of the region, before shutting down in 1957.

Similarly, Monaghan is the only other county in the Republic of Ireland with no existing commercial or freight railway lines.

Transport links with Cavan have been improved substantially with the construction of the M3, however it only goes as far as Kells in County Meath, before reverting into the N3 dual carriageway.