This ancient earthwork takes the form of a raised, roughly triangular platform measuring 44 metres east to west and 31 metres north to south. The site’s defensive position takes advantage of the natural topography, a common feature of Irish ringforts that allowed communities to keep watch over the surrounding landscape whilst maintaining a strategic defensive position.

The fort’s most striking feature is its enclosing bank, constructed from earth and stone that varies between 1.5 and 2.2 metres in width. From inside the enclosure, this bank rises to about 0.7 metres, whilst from the outside it presents a more formidable barrier at 2 metres high. Particularly notable is the northern side of the fort, which runs in a perfectly straight line for 30 metres; an unusual characteristic given that most ringforts follow the natural contours of their sites with curved defensive walls.

Unlike many similar sites across Ireland, Knockauns Fort shows no evidence of an outer fosse or ditch, which were common defensive features that would typically run around the outside of the bank. No obvious entrance feature has been identified either, though centuries of weathering and agricultural activity may have obscured original access points. The fort represents one of thousands of similar structures scattered across the Irish countryside, most dating from the early medieval period when they served as defended farmsteads for prosperous families.