Marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey 6-inch map as ‘Fort’ (DG055-013001-), this ancient structure left no visible trace above ground. The only clue to the area’s archaeological significance emerged during routine ploughing, when farmers uncovered something rather unexpected beneath their fields.

What they found was a carefully constructed stone-lined pit, measuring 3 feet by 2 feet 6 inches and extending 1 foot 6 inches deep into the earth. This rectangular chamber, sealed with a capstone, represents what archaeologists classify as a cist; a type of stone burial box commonly used in prehistoric Ireland. When opened, the cist contained no artefacts or human remains, only soil of a notably different colour at its base, suggesting that whatever organic materials it once held had long since decomposed. The farmers, recognising its potential importance, carefully replaced the capstone after their discovery.

This intriguing find highlights how much of Ireland’s ancient heritage lies hidden beneath ordinary fields and farmland. The complete disappearance of the fort itself, combined with the discovery of the buried cist, suggests this area held significance for multiple periods of occupation and use. While the fort’s exact age and purpose remain unknown, its presence on early Ordnance Survey maps confirms it was still recognisable as an earthwork in the 19th century, before agricultural activity gradually erased it from view.