This circular platform, measuring 23 metres across and rising between 2 to 4 metres high, occupies a commanding position with sweeping views across the surrounding countryside. The monument’s strategic location on the ridge, which runs from east-northeast to west-southwest, would have made it an ideal defensive position during medieval times.

The structure consists of a steep-sided platform surrounded by the remnants of what was once a substantial defensive system. Though time has taken its toll, you can still trace the poorly preserved bank that encircles the platform, now mostly reduced to a scarp. Beyond this lies a fosse, or defensive ditch, with a low external bank on its outer edge; features typical of Norman fortifications. A gap on the eastern side may mark the original entrance, though centuries of erosion make this difficult to confirm. The large hollow visible in the centre of the interior isn’t original; it’s the result of quarrying activities that took place sometime after 1700, when the site’s stone was likely repurposed for local building projects.

What makes this monument particularly fascinating is the ongoing debate about its origins. While it appears to be a truncated motte, a type of Norman castle mound typically topped with a wooden tower, some archaeologists suggest it could instead be the remains of a raised rath, an earlier Irish fortification. This uncertainty speaks to the complex layers of Irish history, where successive waves of inhabitants often built upon or adapted existing structures. The Archaeological Survey of Ireland has documented and surveyed the site, creating detailed profiles that help researchers better understand its construction and evolution through the centuries.