This medieval earthwork takes the form of a rectangular enclosure measuring 72 metres from north to south and 63 metres from east to west. The site’s defensive features include what was once a slight bank, now mostly reduced to a scarp, paired with a wide, flat-bottomed fosse or ditch that runs around the perimeter. The ditch measures about 3 metres wide, with an internal depth of half a metre and external depth of 0.3 metres.

The western side of the enclosure tells a different story from its three counterparts; here, both the bank and ditch have been destroyed over time. Rather cleverly, the medieval builders appear to have relied on the natural slope of the hill itself to provide defence on this side, making additional earthworks unnecessary. Despite careful examination of the site, archaeologists haven’t been able to identify where the original entrance might have been located, leaving questions about how people once accessed this fortified space.

This information comes from the Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly, published by the Stationery Office in Dublin in 1997, though some details have been updated based on more recent archaeological research. The site represents one of many moated sites scattered across the Irish midlands, offering a glimpse into medieval settlement patterns and defensive strategies in the region.