What survives today is modest; a rectangular area measuring 34 metres from east to west, surrounded by a low earthen bank that rises just 40 to 50 centimetres above the surrounding fields. The bank itself is approximately two metres wide, forming the perimeter of what was once a defended homestead.

Moated sites like this one were typically built between the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily by Anglo-Norman settlers who needed fortified farmsteads in the Irish countryside. These weren’t grand castles but rather practical defensive structures, usually consisting of a rectangular platform surrounded by a water-filled moat and an earthen bank. The moat would have been fed by local streams or drainage, creating a barrier against raiders whilst the raised platform kept the timber or stone buildings dry.

Though no visible structures remain on the surface at Ballybuggy, the earthwork itself tells a story of medieval life in Laois. These sites housed everything from manor houses to simple farmsteads, serving as administrative centres for agricultural estates. The modest height of the surviving bank suggests centuries of erosion and agricultural activity have taken their toll, yet the site’s footprint remains clearly defined in the landscape, a subtle reminder of the Norman influence that helped shape medieval Ireland.