The site consists of a raised square platform, measuring approximately 31 metres north to south and 29 metres east to west, surrounded by what was once a water-filled defensive ditch. Though modest in height today, with the scarp rising just 20 centimetres, the enclosure is still clearly defined by its wide, flat fosse; a defensive ditch that stretches nearly 6 metres across and would have been considerably deeper in its heyday.

When archaeologists from the Office of Public Works inspected the site in 1958, they found it overgrown with scrub but could still make out significant features. An inner bank, roughly 1.2 metres wide, rose at least a metre above the fosse, creating an additional layer of defence for whatever structures stood within. Historical records indicate that Ballinhalla Castle once occupied this protected space, though no visible traces of the building remain above ground today.

These moated sites were common across medieval Ireland, particularly from the 13th to 15th centuries, serving as fortified homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers and Gaelicised families alike. The water-filled moat would have provided both defence and a status symbol, whilst the raised platform kept buildings dry and offered clear sightlines across the surrounding landscape. Though Ballinhalla Castle has vanished, the earthworks continue to mark this spot as a place of former importance in Tipperary's medieval landscape.