First recorded on Ordnance Survey maps from 1837 and 1929 as a circular enclosure roughly 30 metres across, the monument sits prominently on the crest of a north-facing slope along a broad east-west ridge. Today, visitors to the site will find a rectangular grassy area measuring 50 metres from north-northeast to south-southwest and 27.5 metres from west-northwest to east-southeast, though the original monument’s boundaries have been somewhat altered by centuries of agricultural activity.

The site’s defining features tell a story of medieval defensive architecture typical of Anglo-Norman settlements in Ireland. A substantial earthen bank and hedge mark the southern boundary, standing 0.7 metres high on its external face, whilst a scarp defines the eastern edge. The western side has been truncated by a later field bank, and a band of nettles marks the northern perimeter. Running east to west through the centre of the enclosure is a curious grass-covered depression, roughly 4 metres wide and 0.3 metres deep, which may represent an ancient trackway leading to a causeway across the western defences. Geophysical survey work conducted in 2009 revealed that the entire rectangular structure was originally surrounded by a fosse or defensive ditch approximately 3 metres wide, with an intriguing extension running southward for about 50 metres from the centre of the southern side.

Despite archaeological testing carried out in 2012 within a 50 to 100 metre radius of the monument, no related artefacts or materials have been recovered to definitively date the site or reveal its original purpose. This absence of finds only adds to the mystery of Runnabackan’s moated enclosure. The proximity of a ring-barrow just 40 metres to the southeast suggests the area held significance across multiple periods, from prehistoric times through the medieval era. Whether this was a defended farmstead, a small manor house, or served some other purpose remains an open question, making it a fascinating destination for those interested in Ireland’s layered historical landscape.