The area, known as Machaire Loiscthe, once contained kitchen middens; ancient rubbish heaps that offer valuable insights into how prehistoric communities lived and what they ate. These accumulations of shells, bones and other domestic waste were noted on the 3rd edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map and photographed by Welch in the early 20th century, though they’re no longer visible today.

Kitchen middens are particularly significant archaeological features along Ireland’s coastlines, representing thousands of years of human habitation. The middens at Machaire Loiscthe would have built up over generations as coastal communities discarded shells from gathered seafood, animal bones from hunted game, and broken tools or pottery. These refuse heaps essentially create a timeline of human activity, preserving evidence of diet, technology and settlement patterns that might otherwise be lost to time.

The disappearance of these middens from view isn’t unusual; coastal archaeological sites are particularly vulnerable to erosion, storms and shifting sands. The low hills of Machaire Loiscthe, now peacefully grass-covered, continue to overlook Sheephaven Bay much as they did when ancient peoples gathered shellfish from its waters. Though the visible evidence has vanished beneath the turf, the historical record preserved through early 20th century photography and surveying ensures these traces of Ireland’s coastal heritage aren’t entirely forgotten.