This oval earthen mound, measuring approximately 30 metres east to west and 20 metres north to south, rises between 2 and 4 metres high depending on which side you approach from. The grass-covered mound, now partially shaded by trees, sits about 80 metres north of where Ballyshannon Castle once stood before it was levelled, and roughly 50 metres east of a graveyard containing a possible medieval church site.

The motte’s historical significance comes into sharp focus through an 1853 sketch based on original plans from 1650, which depicts it as a steep-sided, conical fortification with what appears to be a defensive bank around its summit. A large tree crowned the top of the mound in those days, and the annotation tells a dramatic story: ‘The high mount fortified which wee stormed’. The sketch reveals additional defensive features that have since disappeared, including an outwork that ran along the northern base of the motte, with a second outwork positioned further north still.

Today, this weathered mound offers a tangible connection to Ireland’s turbulent medieval past. Though time has softened its once-imposing profile and nature has reclaimed much of its surface, the earthwork remains a significant archaeological feature. Its proximity to other medieval sites in the area, including the church and castle locations, suggests this was once an important defensive complex, likely controlling the surrounding countryside during a period when such fortifications were essential for maintaining territorial control.