This poorly preserved monument has puzzled archaeologists for decades, its original purpose obscured by centuries of post-medieval quarrying that left deep scars and depressions along its steep sides. The flat-topped mound of earth and stone sits within a landscape rich with historical features; a wayside cross stands just 50 metres to the northeast, whilst the imposing ruins of Fore Abbey lie 255 metres to the southwest, alongside the Knocknamonaster earthwork and the site of an old stone bridge marked on 19th-century maps.

Archaeological surveys conducted in the 1970s attempted to classify this enigmatic structure, though its heavily damaged state makes definitive identification challenging. On the northeastern side, a flat elevated area, now overgrown with scrub bushes and partially destroyed by quarrying, might represent the remnants of a bailey; the defensive courtyard typically associated with Norman motte and bailey castles. Low, grass-covered linear earthworks running southwest to northeast in the adjacent field appear to be traces of an ancient field system, though their exact age remains uncertain.

The true nature of this monument continues to spark debate amongst historians. Whilst it may indeed be the ruins of a motte and bailey castle, a type of fortification introduced to Ireland by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century, some archaeologists suggest an alternative interpretation. The mound could be the badly damaged remains of a prehistoric burial mound or barrow, potentially dating back thousands of years before any medieval fortification. Intriguingly, the site wasn’t marked as an antiquity on the 1837 Ordnance Survey map, suggesting it may have already been so degraded by that time that its historical significance went unrecognised by early surveyors.