The site consists of an oval mound measuring 30 metres east to west and 15 metres north to south, rising about 2 metres high. This motte is separated from its D-shaped bailey by a broad, shallow defensive ditch approximately 7 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep. The bailey itself, stretching 24 metres southwest to northeast and 40 metres northwest to southeast, is encircled by a low earthen bank about 4 metres wide and an outer fosse of similar width.

What makes this site particularly intriguing is that the Norman fortification appears to have been built within an earlier Irish ringfort, suggesting a deliberate reuse of an existing defensive position. The outer defences include an additional bank running from southeast to northwest, creating multiple layers of earthwork protection. These overlapping periods of construction offer a glimpse into how different cultures adapted and rebuilt upon the same strategic locations throughout Ireland’s turbulent medieval period.

The monument has been recognised for its historical significance and is protected under a preservation order dating from 1981. Archaeological rescue excavations were carried out in the vicinity by Eoin Grogan, though the full extent of findings from this work remains unpublished. The site was documented in the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois in 1995, with subsequent research continuing to refine our understanding of this multi-period fortification.