A circular area roughly 37 metres across betrays itself only from above, where the differential growth of plants over a buried ditch traces its shape into the landscape. This kind of feature is known as a cropmark, and it appears because disturbed or filled soil retains moisture differently from the ground around it, causing the vegetation directly above to grow taller or a different shade of green depending on the season and the crop.

The enclosure was identified from Apple Maps satellite imagery, spotted and recorded by Jean-Charles Caillère and subsequently compiled by Matt Kelleher in April 2022. The circular form and the ditch that defines it are consistent with a class of enclosure found widely across Ireland, ranging from prehistoric settlements to early medieval ringforts, the latter being the most numerous monument type in the Irish countryside. Without excavation it is not possible to assign a precise date or function to the Kilquane example, but its proportions and shape place it firmly within that broad tradition of enclosed settlement or activity. The fact that it remains invisible at ground level, absorbed entirely into arable farmland, means it has quietly escaped the notice of anyone not looking down at the right time of year.