 The earliest written records of Ireland come from classical Greco @-@ Roman geographers . Ptolemy in his Almagest refers to Ireland as Mikra Brettania ( Little Britain ) , in contrast to the larger island , which he called Megale Brettania ( Great Britain ) . In his later work , Geography , Ptolemy refers to Ireland as Iouernia and to Great Britain as Albion . These " new " names were likely to have been the local names for the islands at the time . The earlier names , in contrast , were likely to have been coined before direct contact with local peoples was made . 
 The earliest written records of Ireland come from classical Greco @-@ Roman geographers . Ptolemy in his Almagest <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>refers</mark></a> to Ireland as Mikra Brettania ( Little Britain ) , in contrast to the larger island , which he called Megale Brettania ( Great Britain ) . In his later work , Geography , Ptolemy <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>refers</mark></a> to Ireland as Iouernia and to Great Britain as Albion . These " new " names <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> likely to have been the local names for the islands at the time . The earlier names , in contrast , <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> likely to <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>have</mark></a> been coined before direct contact with local peoples was made . 
Da earliest written records of Ireland come from classical Greco @-@ Roman geographers . Ptolemy in his Almagest refer to Ireland as Mikra Brettania ( Little Britain ) , in contrast to tdalarger island , which he called Megale Brettania ( Great Britain ) . In his later wrk , Geography , Ptolemy refer to Ireland as Iouernia and to Great Britain as Albion . These " new " names was likely to have been the local names fir the islands at the time . The earlier names , in contrast , was likely to done been coined before direct contact w/ local ppls was made .