The site consists of a classic motte and bailey design, with the motte forming an imposing circular mound that rises 6.5 metres above the surrounding landscape. This flat-topped earthwork, measuring 24.6 metres in diameter, is encircled by a substantial defensive ditch, or fosse, that varies between 3.8 and 6.1 metres in width. Though now densely overgrown with vegetation, the steep sides of the motte and its surrounding fosse remain clearly visible, particularly along the northwestern to southeastern sections.

The bailey, which served as the fortified courtyard where daily life and administrative activities took place, extends from the northern base of the motte in a roughly rectangular shape, measuring approximately 110 metres from northeast to southwest and 80 metres from northwest to southeast. According to the 1947 Ordnance Survey maps, this area was originally enclosed by an earthen bank that still partially survives today; the northwestern through northern to south-southeastern sections remain visible as a raised embankment with a base width of 7.1 metres, standing 2.2 metres high on the interior side and 1.2 metres on the exterior. Gaps in the defences at the west-northwest and south-southeast positions once channelled a stream around the fosse, adding an extra layer of water defence to the fortification.

Local folklore adds an intriguing element to the site’s history, with stories telling of an army colonel buried in what the old survey maps show as a small circular mound, roughly 10 metres in diameter, at the southwestern corner of the bailey. Whilst this feature no longer has any visible surface trace, it serves as a reminder of how these ancient sites continued to hold significance for local communities long after their military purpose had ended. The entire complex at Moaty represents a fascinating glimpse into medieval Ireland’s turbulent past, when such fortifications dotted the landscape as symbols of Norman power and control over newly conquered territories.