The earthwork cleverly incorporates the natural glacial ridge, which runs north to south through otherwise flat countryside, transforming it into a formidable defensive position. The motte itself forms an oval, flat-topped mound measuring 8.4 metres northeast to southwest and 16.2 metres northwest to southeast, rising an additional 2.1 metres above the esker’s natural height, particularly prominent on its northern side.

The structure’s steep eastern and western slopes would have made any assault extremely challenging for medieval attackers. Natural platform areas immediately north and south of the motte likely served as baileys; the outer courtyards where daily life and economic activities would have taken place during the Norman period. Whilst no enclosing features such as palisades or ditches are visible today, this absence may be explained by the extensive quarrying that has eaten away at the esker over the centuries, particularly on the southern side where such defensive elements would typically be found.

Today, visitors can still appreciate how Norman settlers strategically selected this glacial feature for their fortification, using the landscape’s natural advantages to establish control over the surrounding territory. The site represents a common pattern in Norman settlement across Ireland, where natural features were enhanced and modified to create defensive strongholds that projected power across the medieval landscape.