This archaeological feature was unexpectedly discovered in 2004 during routine monitoring of the Letterkenny sewerage improvement scheme, leading to a full excavation that revealed fascinating details about how our ancestors lived and worked in County Donegal.

The burnt mound, a type of archaeological site common throughout Ireland, consisted of a deposit of charcoal-stained clay packed with fire-cracked stones. Though centuries of agricultural activity had disturbed much of the original structure, leaving only its lower portion intact at depths between 5 and 18 centimetres, the surviving remains still told an important story. The main concentration of burnt material measured approximately 5 metres long by 3 metres wide, with additional scattered deposits found to the east where farming had dispersed the ancient debris. Beneath this layer, excavators found fine grey sand mixed with charcoal fragments; telltale signs of repeated heating activities that likely took place here thousands of years ago.

Whilst no hearth was found directly associated with the mound, and no artefacts were recovered to help date the site more precisely, analysis of the charcoal samples revealed something about the daily lives of those who used this spot. The wood came from four native tree species: hazel, alder, holly, and willow; all readily available in the Irish landscape and commonly used for fuel in prehistoric times. These burnt mounds, found across Ireland and Britain, are generally thought to have been used for cooking, bathing, or various industrial processes involving the heating of water with hot stones, though their exact purpose remains a subject of archaeological debate.