Border Region

For other uses, see Border (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 53°57′48.5″N 7°21′26.8″W / 53.963472°N 7.357444°W / 53.963472; -7.357444

The Border region of Ireland with each constituent county council highlighted.

The Border Region is a NUTS Level III statistical region of Ireland. It comprises the territory of counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo. The Border Region spans 12,156 km2, 17.3% of the total area of the state and has a population in excess of 432,500.[1][2] Its NUTS code is IE011.

Prior to 2014, the region was governed by the Border Regional Assembly. Statutory instrument No. 573/2014 abolished that assembly.[3][4] Since that date, the association between Regional Assemblies and NUTS regions has ceased. The NUTS regions are used for statistical reporting to Eurostat, while the Regional Assemblies are responsible for planning at a local government level.

The region's largest town is Drogheda which also has extensive links with the Mid-East Region.

Geography

The region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Irish Sea in the east. Two of Ireland's longest rivers, the Shannon and the Erne have their source here and have been connected to form one of the world's longest waterways - the Shannon–Erne Waterway. The region has a large rural landscape with many distinctive geographical features.[1] There are many large mountain ranges and high sea cliffs in Donegal, such as Derryveagh Mountains and Slieve League. The region contains two of Ireland's three fjords: Lough Swilly in County Donegal and Carlingford Lough in County Louth.

Former Regional Authority

The Border region was administered by the Border Regional Authority, which consisted of 38 elected representatives including the region's representative on the EU Committee of the Regions. These representatives met once a month and were nominated from the six local government councils of the region:[1]

The Regional Authorities were dissolved in 2014 and were replaced by Regional Assemblies.[3]

Economy

According to Eurostat figures for 2012, the region has GDP of €10.795 bn and a GDP per capita of €21,100 (the second lowest in the Republic, the lowest being The Midlands region at €20,100).[5]

Major settlements

A list of the ten largest settlements in the Border region. County capitals are included and are shown in bold.

Towns
Rank Town County Population
(2011 census)		 Image
1 Drogheda Louth 38,578[6]
2 Dundalk Louth 37,816[7]
3 Letterkenny Donegal 19,588[8]
4 Sligo Sligo 19,452[9]
5 Cavan Cavan 10,205
6 Monaghan Monaghan 7,452
7 Buncrana Donegal 7,199
8 Ardee Louth 4,927
9 Carrickmacross Monaghan 4,925
10 Ballybofey-Stranorlar Donegal 4,852

References

  1. 1 2 3 Irish Region Office - Regions of Ireland: Border Region Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ Border Regional Authority - Profile of the Region
  3. 1 2 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2014/en/si/0228.html
  4. ↑ Statutory Instrument 573/2014
  5. ↑ http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/submitViewTableAction.do
  6. ↑ "Settlement Drogheda Legal Town And Its Environs". Central Statistics Office. 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "Settlement Dundalk Legal Town And Its Environs". Central Statistics Office. 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  8. ↑ http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2011/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST&Geog_Code=33037
  9. ↑ http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2011/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST&Geog_Code=31004
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