It is an oddly integrated structure, neither freestanding nor entirely hidden, but folded into the coastal landscape as though the wall simply absorbed it over time. The rear of the kiln was quarried into the ground behind, a common enough technique for containing the heat and reducing construction effort, but what makes this particular example quietly remarkable is the evidence of vitrification in the passage stones, some of which have been partially fused by the sustained temperatures the kiln once reached.

A lime kiln was an industrial necessity in rural Ireland for centuries, used to burn limestone at high temperatures to produce quicklime, which was then applied to fields to reduce soil acidity or used as a basic mortar in building. This kiln follows a typical design: two lintelled passages at the base, each roughly a metre and a quarter high and less than half a metre wide, channel air into the funnel-shaped burning chamber above. The vitrification of the passage stones, where the material has partially melted and glassed over under extreme heat, points to repeated and sustained use rather than occasional burning. The kiln is set into an existing retaining wall around the bay at Cove, suggesting it was deliberately positioned to take advantage of coastal access, likely for the landing of limestone or the distribution of the finished lime by boat.