The site consists of a rectangular earthwork platform, roughly 40 metres by 30 metres, surrounded by a water-filled defensive moat that’s still clearly visible today. These moated sites were typically built between the 13th and 14th centuries, serving as fortified homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers and wealthy Irish families who adopted this defensive architectural style.

The moat at Lismateige follows the classic design of these medieval structures; a broad, deep ditch that would have been fed by local water sources to create a formidable barrier against attackers. The raised platform in the centre would have supported timber buildings, possibly including a hall house, outbuildings, and storage structures. Archaeological evidence from similar sites across Ireland suggests these complexes functioned as administrative centres for surrounding agricultural estates, combining residential, defensive, and economic purposes in one fortified location.

Today, the site stands as one of hundreds of moated sites scattered across the Irish landscape, with particular concentrations in counties like Kilkenny, Cork, and Tipperary. While the timber structures have long since vanished, the earthworks remain remarkably intact, their grassy banks and water-filled ditches creating distinctive rectangular islands in the rural landscape. These monuments represent an important chapter in Ireland’s medieval history, marking the spread of Anglo-Norman influence and the evolution of defensive architecture during a period of significant social and political change.