Littleton
Irish: An Baile Beag | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 52°38′21″N 7°44′18″W / 52.6393°N 7.7382°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Munster |
County | County Tipperary |
Population | 394 |
Littleton (Irish: An Baile Beag) is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland.[2] It is within the townlands of Ballybeg and Ballydavid, about 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Cashel and to the southeast of Thurles. By-passed by the M8 in December 2008, Littleton lies at a crossroads on the R639 road. Its population was 394 at the 2016 census.[1] It is in the barony of Eliogarty.
Littleton is closely associated with Bord na Móna, a semi-state company that harvests peat in the nearby complex of raised bogs. Littleton is also home to the 'Moycarkey Band', the Seán Treacy Pipe Band.[3]
St. Ruadhan of Lorrha founded a monastery on a raised island in the middle of the bog at Littleton. The "island" is called Derrynaflan and it became famous when a ninth-century chalice, paten, stand and strainer were found there in 1980. They are now in the National Museum in Dublin.[4]
A church of the Church of Ireland parish of Borrisleigh was built in 1786 with funding from the Board of First Fruits. In the 1960s, a church for the Catholic parish of Moycarkey was added.