The square earthwork, measuring 30 metres north to south and 27 metres east to west, is enclosed by a substantial earth and stone bank that rises up to 1.5 metres on its outer face. The bank itself is about 3.5 metres wide, with the characteristic rounded corners typical of these defensive structures from Ireland’s medieval period.

What makes this site particularly interesting is the visible remains of its outer defensive ditch, or fosse, which can still be traced along the northern and eastern sides, though it has been lost elsewhere over the centuries. These moated sites were typically built between the 13th and 14th centuries, often by Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families who needed defensible homesteads in what could be uncertain times. The combination of bank and ditch would have originally surrounded a wooden hall or tower house, creating a secure compound for the medieval household.

Today, the site at Ballyhasty tells a story of continuity and change in the Irish landscape. While the medieval structure has been landscaped to accommodate modern living, with a road now cutting through its northwestern corner, the earthworks remain clearly visible; a tangible link to Tipperary’s medieval past. These moated sites are scattered across the Irish midlands, each one marking a point where someone once felt the need to dig in and defend their piece of land, leaving behind these curious square islands of history in farmers’ fields and, occasionally, suburban gardens.