The earthwork mound, rising to about two metres in height, sits 300 metres east of the historic pass that gives the area its name. Its strategic position would have made it an ideal defensive site during the medieval period, with clear sightlines in every direction across the undulating terrain.

The motte itself has steep sides and a curious low rise at the centre of its summit, though the purpose of this feature remains unclear. Around much of its base, from the northeast sweeping round to the west-northwest, runs a wide, shallow fosse; the defensive ditch that would have made the mound even more difficult to assault. Whilst many mottes had an accompanying bailey where everyday activities took place, no visible trace of one survives here. The modern N6 road between Milltownpass and Kinnegad now cuts across the northern base of the mound, a reminder of how transport routes have shifted over the centuries.

The site’s medieval origins become even more intriguing when considering what isn’t shown on historical maps. The 1654 Down Survey, which recorded that these lands belonged to Nicholas Darcy, an Irish Catholic landowner, makes no mention of any castle here, nor does it depict the nearby church and graveyard that stand just 85 metres away. Recent aerial photography has revealed linear earthworks in the field to the southwest; these may be the remnants of a medieval road that once connected the motte to the wider network of paths and settlements in the area. Together with the nearby St. Bridget’s Well, located 140 metres to the north-northwest, these features paint a picture of a significant medieval landscape that once dominated this part of Westmeath.