Ann Kelly

MidlandsIreland.ie

The Midlands of Ireland is a thriving, vibrant region with opportunities for living, learning, enterprise and tourism. Encompassing the counties of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath, it is Irelands youngest region, home to 292,301 people, predicted to grow up to 318,500+ by 2026. The Midlands is the most connected region in Ireland, bordering five of the other seven regions in the state. With strong infrastructure connections on the M4, M6, M7, M8 and M9 motorways, as well as a network of railway lines and bus services, the Midlands Region has a dynamic and connected core with links to coastal cities and the international markets with ease of accessibility to international airports and ports. The Midlands centrality provides access to a highly engaged workforce with nearly 900,000 members of the labour force within 60-minutes' drive of the 5 key towns, of Athlone, Longford, Mullingar, Portlaoise and Tullamore. The Midlands has a younger demographic than the national average with almost 50% of people under 35 years of age