Westmeath County

Irish: Contae na hIarmhi  Motto: Triath os Triathaibh (Noble above nobility)

One of a series of Irish District tartans designed by Polly Wittering. These are not 'officially sanctioned' District tartans but have apparently proved popular and no doubt in time will be accepted as genuine District rather than Fashion tartans.  

Westmeath is in the province of Leinster, named after the ancient Kingdom of Meath (Old Irish: Mide).  Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the territory of the Kingdom of Meath was subsumed into the Lordship of Meath and granted to King Henry II of England, in his capacity as Lord of Ireland, to Hugh de Lacy in 1171.  

Following the failure of male heirs, the Lordship was split between de Lacy’s great-granddaughters.  The western part was awarded to Margery and her husband, John de Verdun while the eastern part, centred on Trim, was awarded to Maud.