County Westmeath – Hugh de Lacy's Lordship of Meath (1172)
County Westmeath was part of the historic Kingdom of Meath, or Mide, the 'middle' kingdom at the geographical centre of Ireland. After the Norman invasion, King Henry II granted the Lordship of Meath to Hugh de Lacy in 1172, shaping the region's development for centuries.
When de Lacy's male line ended in 1241, the lordship was divided between two great-granddaughters, becoming the liberty of Trim and the royal county of Meath; the two were merged again in 1461. While the east lay within the English Pale, the west became Gaelicised in the 14th century. Today Westmeath, with its county town Mullingar, is known for its lakes. Have a Westmeath story? Share it with the community!