It measures around 12 metres north to south and 9 metres east to west, and to the untrained eye it might pass for nothing more than a patch of discoloured soil. What it actually represents is a fulacht fia, a type of prehistoric cooking or processing site found in enormous numbers across Ireland, typically identified by the characteristic mound of burnt and shattered stone left behind after repeated cycles of heating and water-boiling.

Fulachta fiadh, the plural form, were once interpreted almost exclusively as outdoor cooking sites used by hunters or seasonal work parties, though more recent research has opened up debate about whether some were used for brewing, hide-working, or bathing. Whatever their precise function, they cluster reliably near water sources, which is exactly the pattern seen here. This particular example is one of three recorded in close proximity at Gurteennacloona, suggesting the area was returned to repeatedly over time. A researcher named Bowman noted one of the group as far back as 1934, placing the site in the historical record well before systematic county-wide survey work formalised the cluster.