This impressive earthwork sits atop a small ridge, with its northern face presenting the steepest aspect, whilst the southeastern side appears to have been deliberately scarped, possibly to create a bailey; an enclosed courtyard typical of Norman fortifications. Around the summit, which spans about 11 metres in diameter, faint traces of a small earthen bank suggest the former presence of a wooden palisade or similar defensive structure.

The motte is encircled by a substantial U-shaped fosse, or defensive ditch, varying between 3 and 7 metres in width and reaching depths of around 1.5 metres. Beyond this ditch, an external bank runs along the southern, eastern and western sides, standing about a metre high from ground level on the western approach, though it rises to 2.5 metres when measured from the base of the fosse. The northern bank is a modern addition, partially constructed within the original ditch itself. A stone-lined causeway on the eastern side provides access to the mound, though this feature likely dates from more recent centuries rather than the medieval period.

First documented in Wright’s 1758 survey and later described by Deane in 1922, the Fairy Mount represents a typical example of Anglo-Norman military architecture in Ireland. These mottes, often topped with wooden towers or keeps, served as defensive strongholds and administrative centres following the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century. The name ‘Fairy Mount’ reflects a common Irish tradition of associating ancient earthworks with the supernatural, as many prehistoric and medieval sites became woven into local folklore over the centuries.