Though no surface features are visible today, this large sub-rectangular enclosure once measured approximately 70 metres from north to south and 60 metres from east to west, with notably straight sides along its eastern and western boundaries. The site appears clearly marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map from 1840, offering a glimpse into how prominent this structure once was in the local landscape.

The upland location was clearly chosen with care, providing commanding views across the surrounding countryside in all directions. This strategic positioning would have been invaluable during medieval times, allowing the site’s inhabitants to monitor approaching visitors, traders, or potential threats from a considerable distance. Moated sites like this one were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries and served as fortified homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families who adopted Norman building practices.

While time and agricultural activity have erased the visible traces of Cooleagh’s moated site from the modern landscape, its footprint remains an important piece of Tipperary’s medieval heritage. These sites, once common throughout Ireland, represented significant investment and engineering skill; the moat itself would have been a substantial earthwork, likely filled with water and surrounded by an internal bank topped with a wooden palisade or hedge. The enclosure would have contained the main dwelling, outbuildings, and possibly gardens or orchards, creating a self-contained and defensible homestead that stood as a symbol of authority and prosperity in medieval Irish society.