This ovoid enclosure measures approximately 20 metres north to south and 35 metres east to west, defined by an earth and stone bank that curves from the north-northeast to the west-northwest. The bank varies considerably in height; whilst its interior face stands just 30 centimetres tall, the exterior reaches 82 centimetres in most places, rising to an impressive 1.41 metres at its best-preserved southwestern section.

The site has undergone significant changes over the centuries, with a field wall now running along much of the original bank line, obscuring its ancient profile. To the north of this wall, keen observers can spot the faint traces of a fosse, or defensive ditch, measuring 45 centimetres deep with a base width of 70 centimetres. The interior presents its own mysteries; dense overgrowth restricts access to all but the northeastern quadrant, whilst the southwestern section rises notably higher at around 2.3 metres, scattered with stones and boulders that likely came from recent land clearance in the adjoining field to the south.

First documented by historian Barry in 1981, who classified it as a moated site, this earthwork represents a type of medieval settlement particularly common in Anglo-Norman territories. These moated sites typically date from the 13th to 14th centuries and served as fortified homesteads for wealthy farmers or minor nobility, combining defensive features with agricultural practicality. The surviving earthworks at Shanbally, though weathered by time and agricultural activity, still offer tangible evidence of medieval life in rural Limerick.