Midland Region, Ireland facts for kids
The Midland Region is a special area in Ireland. It's used to help collect information and statistics about the country. This region includes four counties: Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, and Longford.
The Midland Region covers a large area of 6,652 square kilometers. This is about 9.5% of Ireland's total land. In 2022, about 317,999 people lived here.
Before 2014, the Midland Region had its own governing group called the Midland Regional Authority. This group helped manage the area. Now, the Midland Region is part of a bigger planning area called the Eastern and Midland Region.
This region is also a great place for tourists! It has beautiful lakes, rivers, and canals. You can also explore its long history and culture, which goes back to early Christian times.
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What Was the Midland Regional Authority?
The Midland Regional Authority used to be in charge of the Midland Region. It was made up of 24 people who were chosen to represent the area. These representatives met once a month.
They came from the four local councils in the region:
- Laois County Council
- Longford County Council
- Offaly County Council
- Westmeath County Council
In 2014, these Regional Authorities were closed down. New groups called Regional Assemblies took their place.
Who Lives in the Midland Region?
In 2022, the Midland Region had a population of 317,999 people. This means about 6.17% of all people in Ireland live here. On average, there are about 47.8 people living in each square kilometer.
The region has a growing number of older people compared to younger people. This means that things like healthcare, housing, and care for the elderly will become more important in the future.
How Does the Midland Region Make Money?
The most important industries in the Midland Region are working with peat (a type of soil often used for fuel) and processing wood. The wood processing industry here now handles more than one-third of all the timber produced in Ireland!
Other strong industries in the region include medicine, healthcare, engineering, and chemicals. There are also many successful companies that make food and drinks.
In 2012, the region's economy made about €5.765 billion. This was the lowest amount per person in the Republic of Ireland at that time.
In 2015, about 114,000 people worked in the region. This meant that about 87.6% of people who could work had jobs.
Here are the biggest job areas in the Midland Region in 2017:
- Wholesale & retail trade: 16%
- Manufacturing industries: 12%
- Health & social work: 11%
- Education: 9%
- Public administration & defence: 8%
- Agriculture: 8%
Major Towns in the Midland Region
Here is a list of the ten largest towns in the Midland Region. The main town for each county is shown in bold.
| Rank | Town | County | Population (2022 census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portlaoise | Laois | 23,494 |
| 2 | Athlone | Westmeath | 22,869 |
| 3 | Mullingar | Westmeath | 22,667 |
| 4 | Tullamore | Offaly | 15,598 |
| 5 | Longford | Longford | 10,952 |
| 6 | Portarlington | Laois/Offaly | 9,288 |
| 7 | Edenderry | Offaly | 7,888 |
| 8 | Mountmellick | Laois | 4,905 |
| 9 | Birr | Offaly | 4,726 |
| 10 | Clara | Offaly | 3,403 |