This single-ringed earthwork appeared on the first and second editions of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps, marking its presence in the Garvary area of Birdstown Electoral Division. Today, visitors to this pastoral setting would find no trace of the ancient structure; only good quality grass-land remains where the enclosure once defined a space in the Irish countryside.

The disappearance of such archaeological features is not uncommon across Ireland’s rural landscapes, where centuries of agricultural activity, natural erosion, and development have erased many remnants of the past. The enclosure’s location on a south-facing slope would have offered its original inhabitants both drainage advantages and shelter from the prevailing Atlantic winds, whilst providing oversight of the river valley below. These practical considerations often determined where early Irish communities established their settlements and defensive structures.

This lost site forms part of County Donegal’s rich archaeological heritage, documented in the comprehensive 1983 survey compiled by Brian Lacey and his team of researchers. Their work captured details of field antiquities spanning from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, preserving records of sites like this Garvary enclosure that might otherwise be forgotten entirely. Though the physical structure has gone, its documentation serves as a reminder of the countless generations who shaped and inhabited these lands long before modern mapping began.