Measuring 11.25 metres along its north-west facing length, this building reveals its layered history through its very stones. The lower courses display notably skilled construction, particularly at the corners, suggesting it originally served as a rectangular dwelling house, likely built during the post-medieval period when such structures were common throughout rural Ireland.

What makes this building particularly intriguing is the visible evidence of its transformation over time. The rough rebuilding of the upper courses tells a different tale; one of practical rural life where the structure was repurposed as an animal pound and shelter in more recent centuries. This kind of architectural recycling was typical in Irish rural communities, where buildings were adapted to meet changing agricultural needs rather than demolished and rebuilt from scratch.

The structure forms part of a broader monastic landscape, as captured in a photograph from July 1983 showing it silhouetted against the skyline with other monastic remains visible in the foreground. First documented by Walsh in 1983 and later described by Herity in 1995, this unassuming building serves as a tangible reminder of how Ireland’s rural architecture evolved to meet the practical needs of successive generations, each leaving their mark in stone.