This historic moat measures 34 metres on each side, running north to south and east to west, and consists of two earthen banks with a defensive ditch, or fosse, running between them. The eastern side remains the best preserved section of the fortification, where visitors can still clearly make out the original defensive features.

The enclosure’s condition is fairly good considering its age, though time and human activity have taken their toll on parts of the structure. The northwest corner shows significant damage from old quarrying operations, which disturbed the original earthworks and altered the fort’s symmetrical layout. Despite this damage, the remaining banks and ditches still clearly define the square perimeter of what was once a formidable defensive position.

Like many similar earthworks across Ireland, Rabbit Fort likely served as a defended farmstead or minor fortification during the medieval period. These enclosed sites, sometimes called moated sites or moats, were typically built by Anglo-Norman settlers or Gaelicised families between the 13th and 15th centuries. The square shape and bank-and-ditch construction are characteristic features of these settlements, which provided both security and status to their inhabitants whilst controlling the surrounding agricultural land.