The site makes clever use of the landscape’s natural defences; sea cliffs guard the eastern, southern and southwestern approaches, whilst a deep ravine carved by a stream through limestone bedrock protects the western flank. This strategic positioning would have made the fort exceptionally difficult to assault from three sides, requiring attackers to approach from the north where the land meets the promontory.

The northern boundary, where the fort was most vulnerable, features substantial defensive earthworks that reveal careful planning and construction. A curved earthen bank rises up to 2.8 metres high across this approach, gradually diminishing as it extends eastward. Archaeological evidence points to sophisticated engineering techniques; stone revetments reinforced the bank’s northwestern exterior, and a defensive ditch or fosse, measuring 2.55 metres wide and stretching for 10 metres, provided an additional obstacle for any would be attackers. Historical accounts suggest that stones were originally placed at one metre intervals along the inner side of the northern bank, though these have since disappeared.

Today, the fort sits peacefully on gently sloping pastureland facing south, its defensive features softened by centuries of weathering. A narrow gap, just 75 centimetres wide, breaks the northern bank and likely served as the original entrance to the enclosure. Additional stonework can still be traced along the ravine edge, marking where the builders reinforced natural boundaries with human craft. The site stands as a testament to how Ireland’s ancient inhabitants skilfully adapted natural topography for defensive purposes, creating fortifications that harmonised with rather than dominated the landscape.