This cropmark, visible in Google Earth imagery from June 2018, represents the buried remains of what appears to be an ancient settlement or field system. Cropmarks like these form when crops grow differently over buried archaeological features; plants above ditches and pits grow taller and greener due to retained moisture, whilst those over walls or foundations remain stunted, creating patterns only visible from above.

The discovery at Boleybeg adds another piece to the archaeological puzzle of medieval Kildare. The area is home to a moated site, a type of medieval settlement particularly common in the eastern counties of Ireland. These sites, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, consisted of farmsteads or manor houses surrounded by water-filled ditches, providing both drainage and a modest level of defence. The rectangular enclosure visible in the aerial photograph may represent an earlier iteration of the site, or perhaps agricultural buildings associated with the moated settlement.

What makes discoveries like Boleybeg particularly valuable is how modern technology continues to reveal Ireland’s hidden past. Aerial photography and satellite imagery have revolutionised archaeological surveying, allowing researchers to identify sites that are completely invisible at ground level. The cropmark at Boleybeg, documented by local historians and uploaded to archaeological databases in December 2018, demonstrates how citizen scientists and professional archaeologists work together to map Ireland’s rich archaeological heritage, one field at a time.