The site consists of a nearly circular enclosure, approximately 25 metres across internally, defined by a series of defensive earthworks. An earthen bank rises 1.25 metres high on the inner side, followed by a fosse, or defensive ditch, up to 2 metres wide, with an outer bank reaching 2 metres in height. A possible entrance appears to have existed on the eastern side, though centuries of overgrowth have made this feature difficult to confirm.

Ringforts, known locally as raths, were the predominant form of rural settlement in Ireland between roughly 500 and 1200 AD. These enclosed farmsteads housed extended families and their livestock, with the banks and ditches serving both defensive and symbolic purposes; they marked territory and displayed status whilst providing practical protection from cattle raiders and wild animals. The multiple banks at Bannus suggest this may have been home to a family of some local importance, as the effort required to construct such elaborate earthworks would have been considerable.

Today the site lies within rough pasture, heavily overgrown with vegetation that obscures many of its original features. Despite its current state, the ringfort remains an important piece of Donegal’s archaeological landscape, offering a tangible connection to the early medieval period when such settlements dotted the Irish countryside. The commanding view over Lough Erne would have provided the inhabitants with both a strategic advantage and a spectacular outlook, much as it offers modern visitors a glimpse into how our ancestors chose to position their homes within the landscape.