At its heart sits a bullaun stone, a boulder that’s been deliberately carved with basins and channels, surrounded by a cairn measuring roughly 6 by 8.8 metres.

The bullaun itself is particularly interesting for its carved features. Two distinct depressions have been hollowed out from the rock surface; one measures about 34 by 40 centimetres and reaches 23 centimetres deep, whilst the other is considerably broader at 2 metres across but much shallower at only 5 centimetres. What makes this stone especially intriguing is the carved channel that directs water into the first, deeper depression, suggesting this wasn’t merely decorative but served a practical or ritual purpose.

Bullaun stones like this one at Tobermurry are found throughout Ireland and are typically associated with early Christian sites, though some may predate Christianity’s arrival. The water that collected in these rock basins was often considered to have healing properties, and many bullauns became focal points for folk traditions and local pilgrimages. The careful construction of a cairn around this particular example, along with its proximity to the church at Kilcar, hints at its significance to the local community throughout the centuries.