This Norman earthwork consists of a flat-topped mound, measuring about 15 metres across at its summit and 30 metres at its base, rising between 5 and 6 metres high depending on which side you approach from. The mound is surrounded by a defensive ditch, or fosse, which remains most clearly visible along the western and northern sides where it reaches depths of 1.7 metres and spans 5 metres wide at its base.

What makes this site particularly interesting is its strategic placement on the esker, a geological feature formed by glacial meltwater that would have provided both elevation and solid ground in an otherwise marshy landscape. The area immediately east-southeast of the motte, running along the ridge, likely served as a bailey; the fortified courtyard where daily life and activities would have taken place during the castle’s active period. Unfortunately, later quarrying has transformed this section into a grass-covered hollow, obscuring much of the original medieval layout.

These motte-and-bailey castles were the calling cards of the Anglo-Normans following their arrival in Ireland during the late 12th century. Built quickly from earth and timber, they allowed the new arrivals to establish control over conquered territories whilst more permanent stone fortifications could be planned. Though now covered in grass and scrub, the earthworks at Ballymacad remain a tangible reminder of this turbulent period when Norman lords were carving out new territories across the Irish midlands.