What lies beneath is burnt stone and charred debris, the accumulated residue of a fulacht fia, a type of prehistoric cooking site found in extraordinary numbers across Ireland. The mound measures roughly six metres east to west and just under five metres north to south, rising only about a third of a metre above the surrounding ground. Its opening, nearly three metres wide, faces north towards the landscape of Sliabh Luachra, the upland region straddling Kerry and Cork that takes its name from an old territory and later became associated with a distinctive tradition of regional music.

Fulachtaí fia, sometimes called burnt mounds, are among the most common archaeological monuments in Ireland, with thousands recorded across the country. The typical interpretation is that they functioned as outdoor cooking stations, probably during the Bronze Age, though debate continues about whether they also served other purposes such as bathing or textile production. The method involved heating stones in a fire, then dropping them into a water-filled trough to bring the water to a boil. Over repeated use, the stones shattered and were discarded nearby, building up the characteristic crescent or horseshoe shape visible today. The Mausrower example follows this familiar form closely, its burnt material still traceable within a mound that has otherwise settled into the boggy pasture around it.