This ring of upright stones, measuring about 16 metres across internally, consists of contiguous orthostats averaging half a metre in height. The stones form an unbroken circle with no obvious entrance, and in places, traces of what might be a bank or small packing stones can be seen supporting their external bases. From this spot, you can see the ruins of Templecrone Church perched 435 metres to the northeast on Casloughtermon’s northern shore, whilst the inlet’s western shoreline lies just 60 metres to the east.

The monument sits in a field locally known as ‘Rath Liath’, meaning Grey Fort, which offers a clue to its possible identity. Some twenty metres to the northeast, the irregular wall footings of what may have been a large house add another layer to the site’s history. The structure’s ambiguous nature has sparked debate amongst researchers; whilst the field name and the continuous stone circle might suggest this was once a cashel, a type of stone ringfort common in Ireland, the absence of a clearly defined entrance and the use of single upright stones rather than built walls points towards it being a stone circle instead.

This uncertainty makes the site all the more intriguing. Stone circles and cashels served very different purposes in ancient Ireland; the former were likely ceremonial or ritual spaces dating to the Bronze Age, whilst cashels were defensive homesteads from the early medieval period. Whether this monument was a place of prehistoric ritual or a medieval fortified dwelling, its commanding position overlooking Casloughtermon inlet would have made it a significant landmark in the landscape for the community that built it.