The rectangular enclosure appears only as a cropmark from above; subtle differences in vegetation growth that trace the boundaries of long-buried features. On the ground, no visible traces remain of what would have been a substantial defensive structure centuries ago.

Moated sites like this one were particularly common in medieval Ireland between the 13th and 14th centuries, serving as fortified homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers and prosperous farming families. The moat, typically a water-filled ditch surrounding a raised platform, provided both defence and a statement of status. The rectangular shape visible at Boleybeg suggests a planned settlement, likely containing a manor house, outbuildings, and perhaps a small chapel within its protective boundaries.

The site’s discovery through aerial photography demonstrates how modern technology continues to unveil Ireland’s hidden archaeological landscape. Cropmarks form when buried walls, ditches, or foundations affect plant growth above them; crops grow differently over stone foundations versus deeper soil-filled ditches, creating patterns visible only from the air. This particular site was documented in the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois in 1995, though the land itself has likely been cultivated for generations with farmers unaware of the medieval settlement beneath their fields.