Mid-East Region, Ireland

It consists of the territory of the counties of Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow.

[2] But the region mostly has a rural landscape and the total area of viable agricultural land in the Mid-East is 69%.

The region contains notable tourist attractions such as Trim Castle, Kildare Cathedral, Brú na Bóinne and Glendalough.

Prominent geographical features include the River Liffey, the Wicklow Mountains and the Curragh of Kildare which is a major centre of stud farming.

With the addition of Louth, the Mid-East Region now also shares a border with Northern Ireland.

The Mid-East contains Leinster's only Gaeltacht areas, both located in County Meath, at Ráth Chairn and Baile Ghib.

With just 1,771 native Irish speakers between them, spread over a total area of 44km2, they are the two smallest Gaeltachts in Ireland.

According to the 2016 Census, the percentage of Irish speakers by county in the Mid-East is: Kildare (40.2%), Meath (38.6%), Wicklow (36.6%) and Louth (34.1%).