Derryvree’s freshwater sediments suggest that Late Pleistocene Ireland contained temporary tundra refuges amid advancing ice, rather than a single, uniform environment. This local evidence complicates broad descriptions of an entirely frozen or wholly ice-free island, while cave faunas indicate wider connections with Britain and continental Europe. The possibly butchered reindeer bone is especially thought-provoking because it may record a brief human encounter without demonstrating settlement or sustained occupation. How might future work integrating refined dating, sedimentary DNA, plant remains and carefully contextualised cave evidence clarify whether these short-lived habitats influenced animal dispersal and the chances of transient human presence there?