The midlands of Ireland

[Mearabade]

I live in the midlands of Ireland. Im in Westmeath.

I work in a job, where I answer calls and emails from all over the country .

People often ask where I'm from and if i say Im from westmeath, they always say "sure there's nothing there".

For example I was chatting to a woman from kilkenny on the phone.
She asked me where I was, and I said I was in westmeath.

She said that she'd never been to westmeath and I said "you'd love it if you came". And she said 'westmeath? Sure there's nothing there!

My colleague is also from Offaly, and she also gets things like this said to her

I know the midlands of ireland are not the most glamorous parts of ireland, but why do they get totallt written off by people.

I was just thinking this week how absolutely lovely it is here in the midlands

There's the lakes outside Mullingar. Theres the Shannon in Athlone. You can get a boat trip up the Shannon.

In county offaly, there are stunning hill walks. The nature is beautiful.

I just wanted to give a little shout out for the midlands. It's a beautiful place. Come and visit if you're ever near!

I wish there was a Waitrose and John Lewis in the south!...I am in the south, not just the Republic. Since Roches went and we got Debenhams as second best, then they went I have no proper shop.
Is Meath counted as the Midlands?

Is Meath counted as the Midlands?

I think for the average conversation, the Midlands is everywhere that isn't really clearly north, south, west, or southwest, or Dublin. So I would think most people who didn't need to be too precise would count:
Carlow
Laois
Kildare
Offaly
Meath
Westmeath
Cavan
Roscommon

Possibly
Monaghan, Louth & Leitrim

According to the official government regions, the Midlands is only Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, and Longford. But they put Waterford in the southeast and Clare in the southern region, so what would they know😏

Some nice spots in Meath.

I miss Roches and Debenhams too @eggandonion

Meath has a (tiny) coast so it can’t be midlands (imo)

I was in the Athboy area a few times and also Athlone. Both lovely places. 👏🏻

Meath is not the midlands, as it touches the coast. It has a beach.

Yes! Definitely not midlands

West Meath, as in the western part of Meath ( not Westmeath ) would be considered midlands I think.

Fellow Midlander here, sure I'm only two generations off the land. Borris is Carlow is a beautiful little town and Graiguenamanagh has Ireland's tiniest street. My brother's ashes are scattered in Clonmacnoise and it's a lovely peaceful place to visit. Athlone in the 1980's was a bit of a shithole but it did have a cinema. Someday I'll go to Sean's bar in the town centre, Ireland's oldest pub.

I think the Greenways and Canalways are some of the best places to cycle in the country. I agree about walking in the Slieve Bloom mountains, they're lovely in the summer and autumn.

Yeah people go to Dundalk. We don't have Krispy Kreme up here either. Although there is talk of them and Aldi opening up north.

A friend who works for Bórd Fáilte has lots of good stories about the various initiatives that sliced Ireland up into the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. I know very little about the midlands, having always lived around the west and southwest coasts or abroad, but having had a student friend from Carlow, I was completely taken aback when I first visited at how pretty the countryside was. But I find the midlands quite mysterious, in general.

Oooh controversial 😀

Leitrim has a coastline too so definitely not the midlands!

There needs to be a whole Nationwide Special on places on this thread .