placenamesLittle Island
An tOileán Beag
Two estate buildings reveal different aspects of life on the Waterford island.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An tOileán Beag · Irish · main form · validated name
- Little Island · English · main form
Place & story
Older fabric within the Gothic house
The architectural inventory dates the principal rebuilding of Waterford Castle to 1895. It identifies earlier house fabric and medieval castle masonry incorporated into the entrance tower. Battlemented parapets, granite corner stones and elaborate stone window frames give the later building its fortified appearance. Inside, the survey records a Portland-stone arcade and fireplace in the entrance hall, alongside timber panelling and decorative plaster ceilings. [2]
Accommodation beside the crossing
A smaller estate house near the ferry is dated to about 1880, with extensive alterations around 1930. The inventory suggests that it was probably first intended for the ferry operator. That possible function connects the modest dwelling with the practical work of maintaining access between the island and mainland. [3]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Townland
- County
- Waterford
- Barony
- Gaultiere
- Civil parish
- Ballynakill
- Coordinates
- 52.25069, -7.05125
- Mapped area
- 1.26 km²
- Logainm ID
- 50303 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Little Island. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Waterford Castle, NIAH 22901002, Waterford survey 2003 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Little Island estate worker’s house, NIAH 22901012, Waterford survey 2003 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Boundary geometry retains its source attribution and licence in the downloadable geographic record. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.