A lime kiln was used to burn limestone at high temperatures, producing quicklime that farmers spread on acidic soils to improve fertility. They were once commonplace across rural Ireland, but many have crumbled or been absorbed into field boundaries, leaving only the more solidly constructed examples to survive.

This particular kiln dates to the mid or late nineteenth century, and its location is no accident. The Ordnance Survey six-inch map of 1842 already marks a quarry at this spot, meaning the raw limestone was being extracted directly from the hillside behind the structure, a practical arrangement that saved considerable labour in hauling material. The kiln itself is a substantial piece of masonry: stone walls encasing a core that measures roughly four metres east to west and six and a half metres north to south. Its west-facing front elevation rises to about 4.2 metres. At the base of that face sits a corbelled recess, the arched opening where the burnt lime would have been raked out, measuring approximately 2.4 metres in each dimension and capped with a lintel. Just above the floor of that recess is a small rectangular opening, 0.4 metres square, which would have served as the draw hole for removing the finished product or controlling airflow. The funnel area at the top, where limestone and fuel were loaded in alternating layers, is now filled with rubble.