What remains of this cashel, a type of stone fort common throughout Ireland, appears on early Ordnance Survey maps from the 19th century. Today, visitors can trace the northern half of its original circular outline through a low stone wall, standing about a metre high and just under a metre wide. The structure represents one of thousands of similar defensive settlements that once dotted the Irish countryside, typically dating from the early medieval period between 500 and 1170 AD.

The site came under archaeological scrutiny in 2002 when developers planned to build 29 houses on the high ground surrounding the ancient fort. Archaeological monitoring was required due to the proximity of the cashel, which has been preserved in situ near the modern development at Magherainture. Initial testing and subsequent monitoring during topsoil stripping revealed no additional archaeological features in the immediate area, allowing construction to proceed whilst protecting the ringfort itself.

These stone forts, known locally as cashels or caiseal in Irish, served as fortified homesteads for farming families during the early medieval period. Unlike their earthen counterparts, cashels were built with dry stone walls and typically housed extended families along with their livestock and stores. The Buncrana example, with its commanding views over Lough Swilly, would have provided both defensive advantages and control over the surrounding agricultural lands, offering a glimpse into how our ancestors organised their settlements in this part of Donegal over a millennium ago.