To the west and south is Lough Mahon, part of Cork Harbour; across a channel to the east is Fota Island.

[2] A limestone quarry on Little Island was the source of thousands of tons of limestone annually, which were used in the construction of public buildings nationally, including Cork's City Hall and Holy Trinity Church,[2][6] as well as Newfoundland's first legislature, the Colonial Building in St.

[citation needed] Ancient protected structures, as recorded on the Record of Monuments and Places, include examples of fulacht fiadh, middens, corn-drying kilns, the remains of a medieval church and graveyard, and the 15th or 16th century tower house known locally as Wallingstown Castle.

[10] The main drainage wastewater treatment plant for Cork City was also opened in the area in 2004.

[13] Over seven thousand people were employed in the area, which was described as one of Ireland's "industrial powerhouses" as of April 2018.