The excavation, carried out by Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd as part of planning requirements for a housing development, uncovered a substantial prehistoric enclosure that had been hiding in plain sight for centuries. While the team had initially come to investigate the site of a recorded standing stone, which had long since vanished, they found something far more intriguing: a massive double-ditched enclosure measuring approximately 145 metres north to south and 125 metres across.

The excavation involved opening 23 test trenches across the site, which quickly revealed the area’s long agricultural history. Systematic ploughing had left its mark, with uniform furrow patterns indicating post-medieval cultivation, whilst 20th-century improvements included an extensive drainage network and the removal of large boulders from field boundaries. As the archaeologists worked their way from west to east, they encountered a natural depression that initially seemed to meander across the landscape. However, further investigation revealed this wasn’t merely a natural feature; cut into the base of this depression was an impressive double-ditch system with a central bank made from redeposited natural material, all following the same north-west to south-east alignment.

What makes this site particularly intriguing is its apparent lack of settlement evidence, despite the considerable effort that went into its construction. The ditches averaged five metres in width, with a central bank of about one metre, enclosing a natural hummock in the landscape. No artefacts predating the post-medieval period were discovered, and aside from the enclosing ditches themselves, very few archaeological features were found within the enclosed area. This absence of domestic debris suggests the enclosure may have served a ceremonial or ritual purpose rather than as a settlement, adding another layer of mystery to Donegal’s prehistoric landscape.