The oval mound measured 19 feet east to west and 16 feet 6 inches north to south, standing 3 feet 6 inches high. It was constructed from dry sandy soil and reinforced with a kerb of large boulders, with similar stones scattered across its surface. The cist itself lay 3 feet below the mound’s surface near the western edge, roughly level with the surrounding ground, and was protected by two capstones.

The limestone burial chamber was divided into two compartments, each measuring 32 inches east to west, 11 inches wide, and 14 inches deep. The thin limestone slabs forming the cist were carefully secured with packing stones. Each compartment contained the disarticulated remains of an individual, with their heads positioned towards the west, following ancient burial customs. The careful construction and positioning suggest this was a significant burial site for the local Bronze Age community.

The site’s story didn’t end in prehistory, however. Additional skeletal remains found within the mound, including two infant skulls, indicate the location was later repurposed as a cillín; an unconsecrated burial ground for unbaptised children, a practice that continued in rural Ireland until around 1850. This layering of history, from Bronze Age ritual to more recent folk tradition, makes the Loughfad site particularly poignant, revealing how sacred spaces can be reimagined across millennia whilst retaining their fundamental purpose as places of remembrance.