These first and second edition six-inch maps, drawn up when the British military was meticulously documenting Ireland’s landscape, captured what was likely an ancient earthwork or settlement site. Today, however, any physical trace of this structure has vanished completely, leaving only its cartographic ghost behind.

The enclosure occupied a spot amongst rocky outcrops typical of this part of Donegal, where the land rises and falls in dramatic sweeps towards the Atlantic coast. Its position on a south-facing slope would have offered both shelter from northerly winds and commanding views over the lough below; practical considerations that often determined where our ancestors chose to build. Whether this was a defensive ringfort, a livestock enclosure, or perhaps a ceremonial space remains unknown, as the site disappeared before modern archaeological techniques could properly investigate it.

This lost enclosure forms part of Donegal’s remarkably rich archaeological landscape, documented in the comprehensive 1983 Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. The survey catalogued field antiquities spanning from the Mesolithic period right through to the 17th century, revealing how densely packed with history this northwestern corner of Ireland truly is. Though this particular site has been reclaimed by time and nature, its brief appearance on Victorian maps serves as a reminder of how many ancient structures have been lost to farming, development, or simple erosion over the past two centuries.