These modest structures, each measuring about two metres across internally, consist of single courses of stones that trace out their roughly circular footprints. Though simple in construction, they represent the remains of what were likely small huts or dwelling places, possibly dating back centuries or even millennia.

The site’s location on Raghtinmore’s elevated plateau would have provided its inhabitants with commanding views of the surrounding landscape whilst offering some protection from the elements. The foundations’ proximity to one another suggests they may have been contemporary structures, perhaps housing members of the same family group or community. Their small size indicates these were likely seasonal shelters or temporary dwellings rather than permanent year-round residences, though without excavation it’s difficult to determine their exact age or purpose.

These humble stone circles join thousands of similar archaeological features scattered across the Irish landscape, each one a tangible link to the people who once called these hills and valleys home. The structures were first formally documented during the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal in 1983, which catalogued field antiquities spanning from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century. Today, they remain as quiet monuments to the everyday lives of Ireland’s past inhabitants; their stone foundations still marking the spots where families once gathered around hearth fires on this windswept plateau.