This square earthwork, measuring 32 metres on each side, consists of two concentric banks with a water-filled ditch running between them. The inner bank, which stands about 1.4 metres high on its outer face and runs approximately 5.7 metres wide, forms a complete circuit around the site, though its northern and southern sections have been incorporated into later field boundaries that are now overgrown with trees.

The defensive ditch, or fosse as it’s known in archaeological terms, remains waterlogged and measures roughly 2.2 metres across. While most of this ancient moat survives intact, a section running from east to southeast has been lost over time. Beyond the ditch, remnants of an outer bank can still be traced along the western and northern sides of the site, standing about 0.8 metres high and spanning 3.3 metres in width.

These moated sites were typically constructed during the Anglo-Norman period in Ireland, from the late 12th century onwards, and served as fortified farmsteads for colonising families. The Foxhall example represents one of many such earthworks scattered across the Irish countryside, offering a tangible link to the medieval settlement patterns that shaped Galway’s rural landscape. The site was documented as part of the Galway Archaeological Survey conducted by University College Galway, with records uploaded to public databases in December 2019.