The site, now covered by a farm shed, was promptly investigated by archaeologist Raftery on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland. The rectangular stone chamber measured less than a metre in length and just under half a metre in width, constructed from four stone slabs with a distinctive feature: the eastern side incorporated a natural rock that jutted into the interior space, whilst the western side was formed from clay. A substantial capstone, over a metre long, had sealed the burial for millennia.

Inside the cist, archaeologists discovered cremated remains representing at least two individuals, including one confirmed female. The bones were primarily concentrated at both ends of the chamber, with a thin scattering across the floor. Four pottery vessels, known as bipartite pots due to their distinctive two-part construction, had been carefully arranged within the space. The largest pot and the smallest were positioned at the eastern end, whilst two others sat at the western end. Intriguingly, the smallest pot contained bones and was found lying on its side rather than upright like the others. Among the cremated deposits, excavators also recovered a plano-convex knife, a common Bronze Age tool with one flat side and one curved surface.

Radiocarbon dating of samples from the cremated deposits placed the burial between 2016 and 1739 BC, firmly within Ireland’s Early Bronze Age period. This era saw significant changes in burial practices across the island, with cist burials becoming increasingly common as communities moved away from earlier megalithic tomb traditions. The careful arrangement of the pottery vessels and the inclusion of the knife suggest this was a burial of some significance, though the exact relationship between the two individuals remains unknown. The finds from this excavation, including the pottery and human remains, are now preserved in the National Museum of Ireland’s collections.