This rectangular platform measures 22 metres from north to south and 25.3 metres from east to west, creating a substantial fortified space that would have dominated the surrounding countryside during its heyday. The structure is defined by a steep scarp standing 1.4 metres high, with faint traces of defensive banks still visible at the southwestern and southeastern corners.

The castle’s defensive features tell a story of medieval military architecture adapted to the Irish landscape. Around most of the perimeter, you can still make out the shallow remains of an external fosse, or defensive ditch, measuring 2.2 metres wide though now only about 10 centimetres deep; centuries of weathering and agricultural use have softened its once formidable edges. Curiously, the eastern side shows no visible trace of this ditch, suggesting either a different defensive strategy on that approach or perhaps indicating where the main entrance once stood. The interior of the platform remains relatively flat with just a gentle slope towards the west, where a timber hall and other buildings would have stood.

These ringwork castles represent an important phase in Irish medieval history, particularly during the Anglo-Norman period when they served as quickly constructed fortifications that could control strategic locations. Unlike their stone-built cousins, ringworks relied on earth and timber defences, making them faster to build but also more vulnerable to the passage of time. Today, this example at Garraun survives as subtle undulations in the landscape; a reminder of the complex military and social dynamics that shaped medieval Tipperary.