This ancient midden, or waste heap, was discovered during ploughing by McNaught and Gallagher and appears to extend some 15 to 20 metres from the southeastern corner of what is now a grassed field. The site sits on the edge of a steep, bramble-covered slope that descends towards the shore, positioned more than five metres above the high tide mark. Though it cannot be properly inspected today due to the overgrown vegetation, this appears to be one of two sites near Inch Castle that were first mentioned in historical records by Harte back in 1867.

The midden’s location, tucked just below the rocky outcrop where Inch Castle stands, has proven to be archaeologically significant. When the adjacent field was ploughed, it yielded a fascinating array of artefacts that offer glimpses into prehistoric life in this coastal area. Among the finds were what appears to be a butt-trimmed tool and several large, elongated blades; artefacts that are characteristic of Ireland’s Mesolithic period, when hunter-gatherer communities first inhabited the island between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago.

Archaeological assessments conducted in 2001 by Woodman and Milner documented the site’s importance, though the conversion of the field to grassland has since made further investigation challenging. The midden remains an important piece of Donegal’s prehistoric puzzle, representing the everyday lives of some of Ireland’s earliest inhabitants who chose this coastal location, perhaps drawn by the rich marine resources and the natural shelter provided by the landscape that would, millennia later, also attract the builders of Inch Castle.