The roughly circular platform, measuring about 34 metres north to south and 33 metres east to west, rises dramatically from the surrounding terrain; its defensive scarp reaches heights of nearly 4 metres on the northern side, whilst to the west it stands 2 metres tall. The builders chose their location wisely, taking advantage of natural slopes that fall steeply away to the north, east and south towards rush-grown wetlands, with a stream flowing just 75 metres to the east.

The western approach, where the ground naturally rises to meet the motte, required additional fortification in the form of a broad fosse, or defensive ditch, measuring up to 5.8 metres wide with an accompanying external bank. These features cut impressively across the rising ground from the southwest to northwest, though they cannot be traced around the northern or eastern sides where the natural topography provided sufficient defence. On the southeastern to southwestern sides, the platform scarp drops to what appears to be a terrace or berm about 3.5 metres wide, possibly representing how the fosse was adapted to this portion of the site, though later quarrying has obscured its original form.

The platform’s summit tells a story of centuries of use and disturbance, with an uneven surface of humps and hollows and a slightly raised central area. A curious linear feature runs across the platform from north-northeast to south-southwest; this low, sod-covered rise scattered with protruding stones may be the remnants of an internal wall, though it doesn’t clearly define any particular structure. Knox’s 1911 survey noted a broad, ramp-like entrance on the eastern side, but this feature has since been largely destroyed by digging. The proximity to Bohola church and graveyard, located just 40 metres to the south, suggests this motte played an important role in the medieval landscape of the area, serving as both a defensive stronghold and a symbol of Norman authority in this part of Mayo.