This moated site at Ballyogan represents one of those intriguing archaeological puzzles that dot the Irish landscape, combining defensive earthworks with evidence of internal stone structures that hint at a complex past.

The site first caught scholarly attention in the mid-19th century when antiquarian Moore described it in 1849 as a quadrangular fort containing something rather unusual: foundations of about half a dozen small stone cells built with regular masonry. Moore believed these internal structures were contemporary with the surrounding earthen fortifications, suggesting a sophisticated design that went beyond simple defensive needs. The 1839 Ordnance Survey map captured the site’s distinctive shape, showing a sub-rectangular enclosure that widens from about 35 metres at its southern end to 42 metres at the north, with eastern and western sides measuring roughly 65 and 60 metres respectively. A curious long, narrow rectangle, approximately 48 metres long and 8 metres wide, was also noted along the western side.

More recent field surveys from 2016 have provided clearer measurements of this ancient site, revealing a rectangular platform measuring 42 metres on the north and south sides, 67 metres on the east, and 62 metres on the west. The defensive fosse, or ditch, that surrounds the platform remains impressive; about 2 metres wide at its base, widening to 3.5 metres at the top, and plunging to a depth of 1.5 metres. An outer bank completes the defensive arrangement, though the internal stone features Moore documented are no longer visible, likely concealed beneath centuries of accumulated vegetation and soil.