The earthwork consists of an impressive oval mound of earth and stone, rising about 9 metres high with a flat summit that measures roughly 20 by 12 metres. The mound’s base stretches approximately 34 metres from northwest to southeast and 30 metres from northeast to southwest. Intriguingly, archaeologists discovered traces of a stone kerb around the western base in the late 1970s, suggesting this Anglo-Norman fortification may have been built atop a much older prehistoric burial mound, repurposing an already significant site.

The O’Farrells, once the dominant Gaelic lords of this region, traditionally used this spot as their inauguration place until around 1516, when the clan split into two factions. After the division, the southern branch, known as the O’Farrells Buí, likely continued to gather here for ceremonies and assemblies. Today, visitors can still see the grass-covered ruins of what may be an O’Farrell castle on the summit, alongside a modern Ordnance Survey trigonometrical station. The defensive features remain remarkably visible: a deep, partially rock-cut fosse circles the motte from west to north, accompanied by a substantial outer bank of earth and stone that rises 7 metres high and spans over 20 metres wide, cleverly incorporating the natural slope of the hill.

A large rectangular bailey extends from the southwestern side of the motte, covering an area of about 52 by 31 metres and defined by an earthen bank that now appears as a scarp between 0.9 and 1.4 metres high. Unlike many similar fortifications, there’s no dividing ditch between the motte and bailey, suggesting they functioned as an integrated defensive complex. The surrounding landscape reveals a rich archaeological tapestry; a ringfort sits 130 metres to the north, a moated site 380 metres to the east, and a church with its graveyard about 750 metres to the south-southeast. Small field systems with ridge and furrow cultivation patterns, though undated, are still visible in the fields to the south-southeast, hinting at centuries of agricultural activity around this strategic stronghold.