These six circular mounds of beach cobbles, ranging from 1.6 to 4.65 metres in diameter and rising up to a metre high, were first documented in September 2010 after coastal erosion exposed them to view. The cairns sit on a narrow sand spit between the bay and an estuary, just 11 metres from the remains of a circular stone hut, suggesting this was once a site of considerable activity for our ancestors.

The forces that revealed these monuments; cattle grazing, stream erosion from Warren Channel, and the relentless Atlantic winds; have also left them vulnerable. Scattered amongst the exposed archaeological features are shells from cockles, mussels, and razorfish, though whether these are ancient food remains or more recent deposits from the sea remains unclear. The entire complex covers a modest area of 20 to 25 square metres, yet its significance extends far beyond its physical footprint.

What makes this site particularly intriguing is its location right at the edge of land and sea, a liminal space that held special meaning for Ireland’s prehistoric peoples. The proximity of the cairns to the hut site hints at a small coastal settlement, perhaps seasonal, where people may have gathered to exploit marine resources or conduct rituals. While the exact age and purpose of these cairns remain unclassified, they join the countless other stone monuments that dot Ireland’s Atlantic fringe, silent witnesses to millennia of human occupation along these dramatic shores.