What began as the identification of three short cists; ancient stone burial chambers; soon expanded into something more intriguing. These Bronze Age monuments, catalogued as DG079-044001, DG079-044003, and DG079-044004, represent just part of what appears to be a larger funerary complex that once served the prehistoric communities of this region.

The most compelling find came when archaeologists from the National Museum of Ireland, led by Shine and Sikora, investigated a fourth potential burial site. About three metres east of the first cist lay a large flat stone slab, likely displaced from its original position by modern agricultural machinery. This substantial stone may have once served as a capstone for another burial chamber, though the bulldozer’s intervention made certainty impossible. The team’s excavation, conducted under licence 04E0505, revealed scattered bone fragments in the loose earth surrounding the first cist, some of which might have originated from this disturbed monument.

These discoveries at Liscooly offer a tantalising glimpse into Ireland’s ancient burial practices. Short cists, typically dating from the Early Bronze Age (c. 2200-1500 BCE), were stone-lined graves often used for single burials, sometimes accompanied by pottery vessels or other grave goods. The presence of multiple cists in such close proximity suggests this location held particular significance for the local population, possibly serving as a communal cemetery for generations of farming families who worked these same undulating fields thousands of years ago.