The site forms a rough trapezoid measuring approximately 42 metres east to west and 27 metres north to south, marked out by a shallow fosse, or defensive ditch, with an inner bank that still rises slightly on the eastern and western sides, as well as at the western ends of the northern and southern boundaries. Reeds now grow where water once filled the fosse, hinting at the site’s former defensive character.

The interior holds intriguing clues about past structures. From the western bank, the faint traces of a rectangular raised area extend eastward for about 10 metres into the enclosed space, suggesting the foundation of a building that once stood within this protected area. This site doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s connected by a leat, or artificial watercourse, to another moated site just 37 metres to the west, indicating these were part of a larger medieval settlement complex.

These moated sites, common throughout Cork and Ireland, typically date from the Anglo-Norman period of the 13th and 14th centuries. They served as fortified farmsteads for colonists and local lords, providing both defensive capabilities and status symbols in the medieval landscape. The water-filled ditches offered protection whilst the raised platforms within kept buildings dry and secure. Today, though cattle may graze where knights once stood, these earthworks remain as subtle but tangible links to Cork’s medieval past.