These earthwork fortifications, typically dating from the 13th to 14th centuries, were once common features across the Irish landscape, particularly in areas settled by Anglo-Norman colonists. The site consists of a raised rectangular platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch, or moat, which would have originally protected a timber-framed manor house or hall. While the wooden structures have long since vanished, the earthworks remain remarkably well-preserved, creating a distinctive archaeological footprint that’s visible from aerial photography.

Moated sites like this one served multiple purposes beyond simple defence. The water-filled ditches provided fish for the table, water for livestock, and a degree of prestige for their owners; these were the residences of relatively prosperous farmers and minor lords rather than great nobles. Archaeological evidence from similar sites across Ireland suggests these complexes often included outbuildings, gardens, and orchards within or near the moated enclosure. The choice of location was strategic, typically on slightly elevated ground with access to water sources to keep the moats filled year-round.

Today, these earthworks stand as subtle monuments to a turbulent period in Irish history when Anglo-Norman settlers were establishing themselves across the countryside, often in uneasy proximity to Gaelic Irish communities. The Westmoreland site represents one of hundreds of such fortified farmsteads that once dotted the medieval Irish landscape, most of which have been levelled by centuries of agricultural activity. Its survival makes it an important piece of material culture, helping historians and archaeologists understand patterns of settlement, land use, and social hierarchy in medieval Ireland.