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According to the 2006 census, there are 79,346 people living in County Westmeath compared to 71,858 in 2002. This shows a significant increase of 7,488 or 10.4%.

Most of this growth in population has centred on Westmeath's two largest towns, Mullingar and Athlone. Mullingar's population has increased by 18% to 18,529 and Athlone's has risen by 23% to 17,544 since 2002.

At present there are slightly more men living in Westmeath than women. Of the 79,346 living there, 39,819 are male while the remaining 39,527 are female.

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According to the 2006 census, there are 79,346 people living in County Westmeath compared to 71,858 in 2002. This shows a significant increase of 7,488 or 10.4%. Most of this growth in population has centred on Westmeath's two largest towns, Mullingar and Athlone.

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A famine is when there is a very severe shortage or lack of food for a large number of people. During a famine, there is hunger, malnutrition, starvation and often death among the people. Ireland had its worst famine in 1845 when a famine called the Great Famine occured. It lasted until about 1850 but the worst years were between 1845 and 1849. It is estimated that almost one million people died and another million Irish people emigrated by the end of the famine. Ireland's population was over 8 million in 1841 but by 1851 it was reduced to about 6 .5 million.

One of the causes of the Great Irish Famine was a disease called blight which destroyed the potato crop. The potato was the only food available to the majority of the people in Ireland at the time. The poorer people were cottiers and labourers who did not own their own land. They grew potatoes on small plots of ground and had no money to buy any other foods.

The poorest groups suffered most during the famine because they had no other food to eat except the potato. When the blight destroyed the potato crops every year from 1845, the people faced starvation and death.

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A famine is when there is a very severe shortage or lack of food for a large number of people. During a famine, there is hunger, malnutrition, starvation and often death among the people. Ireland had its worst famine in 1845 when a famine called the Great Famine occured.

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To get the best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or other web browser. Upgrade your browser now To register for a Scoilnet Account you will need to have a Teaching Council number and a roll number for your school in Ireland.

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A Day in Pompeii - Full-length animation

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The first form of road transport in Ireland was horses. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, steam powered engines were created. These engines were too heavy to travel on roads. This led to the development of railroads.

About 100 years ago, the types of transport available were walking, horse-riding, trains and trams in cities.

Cars were developed around the 1900's. They progressed from wooden, steam, electicity charged vehicles to metal cars. In the early 1900's the car as we know it today began to be developed. Henry Ford was the first to assemble many cars in a factory and was the world's biggest car manufacturer by 1927. The Ford family came from Ballinascarty in County Cork.

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The first form of road transport in Ireland was horses. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, steam powered engines were created. These engines were too heavy to travel on roads. This led to the development of railroads. About 100 years ago, the types of transport available were walking, horse-riding, trains and trams in cities.