North West Ireland

The beauty of the North West is not just what the eye can behold, but what the heart can perceive. The stunning scenery is matched by the genuine warmth and friendiness of the people. One truly can forget the cares of modern life by escaping to one or all of the five counties that comprise the North West Region. The spectacular scenery and rich heritage of culture provide every variety of recreational activity from the arduous to the languorous - watercolour painting to mountaineering, golfing on pefect fairways to surfing the Atlantic rollers; horse riding in bracing winds to lazing in seaweed baths. North-West Ireland is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 3 MEPs using the Single Transferable Vote system.

The constituency was created in 2004 and is a successor to the old Connacht-Ulster constituency.

The North West Ireland region comprises of three counties - Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. The population is approx.56,000, 25,000 and 130,000 respectively (1996 Census). This represents 9.7% of the National population. The region has a land area of 8,265 sq kms and over 1,000 kms of rugged coastline, with a large Gaeltacht area (Irish speaking) and is rich in culture, heritage and archaeology. This remoteness and tradition creates the basis for significant economic wealth within the tourism sector. The Region is one of the most remote regions in the European Union and is bordered along the East by Northern Ireland. Tourism is a significant industry in NW Ireland Region with over 546,000 overseas visitors in 2000 generating revenue of over €128 million for the region.