The site consists of a rectangular grassed platform measuring approximately 23 metres northwest to southeast and 21 metres northeast to southwest, originally enclosed by earthen banks and water-filled moats. The northwestern side features the remains of an earthen bank, about 3.4 metres wide and still standing up to 1.2 metres high on its outer edge, accompanied by a flat-bottomed moat that once stretched 8.2 metres across at its top. The southeastern boundary shows similar defensive features, with a 4-metre-wide bank and a slightly narrower moat, whilst the northeastern and southwestern sides are defined by steep scarps dropping 1.6 and 1.2 metres respectively.

At the heart of this defended enclosure lie the foundations of what was once a house, its walls still traceable as low earthworks measuring roughly 7.5 by 5.5 metres. The half-metre-wide wall bases at the northwest and northeast corners hint at what would have been a substantial structure, likely built of stone or timber, that served as the residence for a family of some local importance during the medieval period. Such moated sites were particularly popular in Ireland between the 13th and 15th centuries, often built by Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Gaelic families seeking both security and status.

Intriguingly, this isn’t an isolated example; another moated site lies just 100 metres to the north-northwest, suggesting this area of Roscommon once hosted a small cluster of defended homesteads. These neighbouring sites may have been connected through family ties, shared defensive needs, or simply the suitability of this slightly elevated ground in an otherwise marshy landscape. Together, they paint a picture of medieval rural life where security concerns shaped the very layout of homes, with water-filled moats serving both as practical barriers against raiders and symbols of the occupants’ social standing.