It measures roughly eight to nine metres across and rises to about one and a half metres at its highest point, which is modest enough to escape the attention of anyone not looking for it. What lies beneath the turf, however, is the accumulated refuse of ancient meals: oyster shells, ash, and charcoal, the compressed remnants of repeated occupation and feasting at the water's edge.

This is a midden, a type of prehistoric rubbish heap that archaeologists rely upon heavily for evidence of diet, settlement patterns, and coastal activity. Shell middens in particular are common along Ireland's Atlantic shoreline, where communities harvested shellfish over generations, discarding the debris in the same spot until it built up into a recognisable mound. The presence of ash and charcoal alongside the oyster shells suggests that cooking or fire-keeping took place here, adding a domestic dimension to what might otherwise seem like simple waste disposal. Notably, this is not an isolated deposit; another midden lies a short distance to the north-east along the same stretch of Ballysadare Bay, hinting at repeated or widespread use of this coastline by people who knew its resources well.