Aerial photograph GB90.BL.26, captured in July 1990, shows the ghostly outline of a rectangular enclosure with its entrance oriented towards the north-east, opening into what appears to be an organised field system. These marks, which show up as variations in crop growth above buried archaeological features, form part of a much larger prehistoric or early historic landscape that once thrived in this region.

The site, catalogued as LA018-067, represents the type of settlement and farming patterns that were common throughout Ireland during various periods of antiquity. The rectangular enclosure likely served as a farmstead or small settlement, whilst the connected rectilinear field system suggests careful land management and agricultural planning by its inhabitants. Though the features are only faintly visible on modern aerial photography available through the Archaeological Survey of Ireland website, they provide valuable insights into how our ancestors organised their living and working spaces.

This particular discovery adds to the growing understanding of Ireland’s hidden archaeological heritage, much of which remains invisible at ground level. The compilation of this data by Dr. G.F. Barrett and Caimin O’Brien helps preserve knowledge of these ephemeral traces, ensuring that even the faintest marks in the landscape contribute to our understanding of Ireland’s rich past. Similar sites, including the moated site at Loughteeog, demonstrate the variety of settlement types that once dotted the Laois countryside, each telling its own story of community, agriculture, and survival in medieval and earlier Ireland.