This large fortification, first documented by Thomas Fagan in the 1840s, carries a local legend that it was constructed as a military fortress during the Williamite Wars of the late 17th century, when Catholic King James II and Protestant William of Orange battled for control of the British throne. However, its true origins and exact date remain uncertain, making it one of those tantalising archaeological puzzles that dot the Irish landscape.

The site gained renewed attention in 2004 when archaeologists, led by Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd, conducted excavations nearby ahead of a housing development. Six test trenches were carefully dug to investigate the area surrounding a court tomb, one of Ireland’s earliest megalithic monuments typically dating from the Neolithic period. The excavation revealed several linear features; drainage ditches and what appeared to be an old boundary ditch that had been repurposed over time. The boundary ditch, which showed signs of being recut and lined with stones, suggested a long history of agricultural use, though any associated bank had been completely erased by centuries of ploughing.

Despite the proximity to the ancient court tomb, the excavation found no evidence of activity predating the post-medieval period, and nothing that could definitively link the earthen enclosure to the megalithic monument. The findings pointed instead to a landscape shaped by relatively recent agricultural practices; field drains following the natural fall of the land toward the public road, and boundary markers that evolved with changing farming needs. Whether the enclosure truly served as a Williamite fortress or had some other purpose entirely remains an open question, adding to the rich tapestry of mysteries that make Irish archaeology so compelling.