Meath Moving

More than any county surrounding it, Dublin has encroached into County Meath like a discreet invader. The villages of Clonee on the N3/M3 and Ashbourne on the M2/N2 have effectively been sequestered by the Fingal administrative area of County Dublin. These were sleepy villages that previously marked the border of the two famed GAA strongholds, but they now merge seamlessly almost with the outer edges of Dublin city.

Meath is a large county stretching from Dublin to the Cavan border. It is three times the size of its county Louth neighbour and has jumped in population with the expansion and consequent overflow of Dublin into it. Navan is the county capital and other main towns include Trim, Kells, Dunboyne and Ashbourne.

The town of Drogheda in County Louth is actually part of Meath to the south, divided by the River Boyne, and the growing coastal extension of this is an area of Laytown, Bettystown, Mornington, Donnycarney now designated as East Meath for administration and political purposes.

The proximity of the county to Dublin on the southern borders will always be a huge benefit to Meath in attracting people and industry. The addition of the M3 motorway adds convenience for the commuter but the lack of a rail line to the county capital Navan is a disadvantage. There is an ongoing campaign to restore the Navan-Dublin railway line for passenger use. The line is used for conveying Tara Mines zinc produce from its location just north of Navan. Tara Mines is the largest employer in the county.