The first cist was discovered around 1895, though sadly no records exist of what, if anything, was found inside when it was opened. This lack of documentation was fairly typical of late Victorian archaeology, when local discoveries were often made by farmers or landowners rather than trained archaeologists.

The second cist, discovered later, proved far more revealing. This compact stone chamber measured just 64 centimetres from east to west and 48 centimetres across; roughly the size of a large suitcase. Despite its modest dimensions, it contained a remarkable collection of grave goods. The centrepiece was a bowl food vessel, a type of pottery commonly placed in Bronze Age burials, presumably containing offerings for the deceased’s journey to the afterlife. Alongside the pottery, archaeologists found evidence of stone tool technology: a flint flake, a thumb scraper (a small tool used for preparing animal hides), and several quartz chips.

These finds paint a picture of Bronze Age life and death in Donegal around 4,000 years ago. The presence of worked flint tools suggests the deceased may have been a craftsperson or that these items held special significance. The quartz chips might have had ritual importance; white quartz appears frequently in Irish prehistoric monuments and may have been believed to possess spiritual properties. Together, these artefacts from Carrickbrack represent the care and ritual that accompanied death in prehistoric Ireland, preserved beneath the Donegal soil for millennia.