Mid-West Region, Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mid-West
The Mid-West of Ireland with each constituent county council highlighted.
Country	Republic of Ireland
Region	Southern

The Mid-West is an important area in Ireland, located within the Southern Region. It is a special "statistical region" used for planning and collecting data. This region includes the counties of Clare and Tipperary, along with the city and county of Limerick.

Limerick City is the main economic hub of the Mid-West. The region covers about 10,511 square kilometers. This is nearly 15% of Ireland's total land area. In 2022, the Mid-West had a population of 505,369 people.

Counties and Local Government

The Mid-West region is made up of three main local areas. These are the councils for Clare, Tipperary, and Limerick. Each of these councils sends representatives to the Southern Regional Assembly. This group helps plan for the future of the Mid-West.

The size of the Mid-West region grew in 2018. This happened when all of County Tipperary was included. Before 2018, part of Tipperary was in a different region. This change happened because two parts of Tipperary joined together in 2014.

Past Regional Management

Before 2014, the Mid-West had its own special group called the Mid-West Regional Authority. This group had 26 elected members from the local councils. They would meet once a month to discuss regional matters.

However, in 2014, these Regional Authorities were replaced. New groups called Regional Assemblies took over their roles. Another group, Shannon Development, also used to help the Mid-West. It focused on developing the area around the lower River Shannon. This group was also closed down in 2014.

Population and People

The Mid-West region is home to about 473,269 people. This means that roughly 10% of Ireland's total population lives here.

The population density is about 45 people per square kilometer. This tells us how many people live in each part of the land. Limerick City is the biggest urban area in the region. It has a population of 94,192 people, including its suburbs.

Economy and Jobs

The economy of the Mid-West mostly centers around the Limerick and Shannon areas. Several important places help drive the region's economy. These include the Shannon Free Zone and Shannon Airport. The Shannon Estuary Ports are also key for trade.

Big educational places like the University of Limerick are also very important. They help train people for jobs in new industries. The region is growing in areas like biotechnology and medical technology. Other important sectors include ICT (information and communication technology), aerospace, tourism, and farming.

The Mid-West is well-connected by roads to other major cities. The main road links to Dublin and also to Galway and Cork.

In 2016, the unemployment rate in the Mid-West was 6%. This was one of the lowest rates in Ireland at the time. It was similar to the rate in Dublin.

Farming is still a big part of the Mid-West economy. The Clare Marts in Ennis is a major place for trading farm animals. The flat lands of East Limerick are part of Ireland's "Golden Vale." This area is famous for its rich farmland.

Travel and Transport

Shannon Airport is the only airport in the Mid-West region. It offers many flights to places like Britain, other parts of Europe, and even the United States.

Major roads make it easy to travel around the Mid-West. The M7 connects Limerick to Dublin. The N18/M18 includes the Limerick Tunnel. This tunnel helps traffic bypass Limerick city. It also makes it easier to reach Shannon, Ennis, and Galway. The N/M20 road connects the Mid-West to Cork and Kerry.

Main Towns and Cities

Here is a list of the largest towns and cities in the Mid-West region. These are places with 1,000 people or more. County capitals are shown in bold.