This rectangular earthwork, measuring approximately 50 by 40 metres, consists of a raised platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch, or moat, that would have served both as a defensive barrier and a status symbol for its inhabitants. Though now overgrown and weathered by centuries, the site’s distinctive raised banks and depressed moat outline remain clearly visible in the landscape, marking where a timber hall or fortified farmstead likely stood during the 13th or 14th century.

Moated sites like Ballynalinagh were particularly common in the fertile lands of south Leinster, where Anglo-Norman colonists established agricultural settlements following their arrival in Ireland after 1169. Unlike the stone castles built by wealthier lords, these earthwork enclosures were constructed by lesser landowners; farmers, merchants, and minor gentry who needed protection but lacked the resources for elaborate fortifications. The moat itself served multiple purposes: it provided defence against raids, helped drain the surrounding land for agriculture, and supplied water for domestic use and livestock.

Archaeological surveys suggest that hundreds of similar sites once dotted the Kilkenny countryside, though many have been lost to agricultural improvement and development. Ballynalinagh stands as one of the better-preserved examples, its earthworks still rising several metres above the surrounding fields. While no excavation has taken place at this particular site, similar moated settlements elsewhere in Ireland have yielded evidence of timber buildings, pottery, metalwork, and agricultural tools, painting a picture of self-sufficient communities that bridged the gap between the Gaelic Irish and Anglo-Norman worlds during a transformative period in Irish history.