The spread measures sixteen metres east to west and twelve metres north to south, a modest but telling footprint in the soil.

Fulachtaí fia, found in their thousands across Ireland, are the remains of ancient outdoor cooking sites, typically dating to the Bronze Age, though some have earlier or later origins. The standard interpretation is that water was drawn into a trough, then heated by dropping fire-cracked stones into it until the water boiled, allowing meat to be cooked. Over repeated use, the shattered stones accumulated into a characteristic horseshoe-shaped mound of dark, charred debris. The proximity of a spring here is entirely consistent with that pattern; a reliable water source was a practical necessity, and fulachtaí fia are found near streams, springs, and boggy ground with remarkable regularity across the country. Some researchers have also proposed alternative uses, including bathing, textile processing, or brewing, though none of these theories has displaced the cooking explanation entirely.