The builders of this fortification made good use of the terrain, creating a circular defensive area roughly 40 metres across that’s defined by a substantial earthen embankment standing 3.5 metres high and spanning over 5 metres wide. What makes this site particularly interesting is how the natural topography was incorporated into the defensive design; where the ground drops away steeply to the northwest and northeast, the builders didn’t bother digging a defensive ditch, letting nature do the work for them.

The fortification’s defensive features are still clearly visible today, particularly along the southern and western sides where a fosse, or defensive ditch, runs 8.4 metres wide between the inner scarp and an outer bank. This outer bank, measuring 7 metres across and built from earth and rounded stones, appears to have been constructed by throwing the excavated material outward from the ditch. A uniform ramp feature leads up the eastern side to a gap in the inner embankment, likely marking the original entrance to the fortress. Adjacent to the east lies another earthwork, and historical maps from 1905 suggest parts of the outer defences were later incorporated into field boundaries.

Though the interior is now inaccessible due to dense thorn tree growth, and heavy tree cover obscures much of the monument itself, the strategic value of this location remains apparent. The site commands excellent views across the Suir valley from west through north to east, with clear sightlines northeast to Athassel Abbey. This positioning would have given the castle’s occupants both defensive advantages and control over movement through the valley below, making it a key stronghold in the medieval landscape of South Tipperary.