This moated site, measuring approximately 40 metres square, is defined by earthen banks on its western, northern and eastern sides, with the banks reaching their most impressive heights of nearly two metres at the northwestern and northeastern corners. The interior of the site sits noticeably higher than the surrounding field level, whilst an external fosse, or defensive ditch, roughly two metres wide runs along the outside of the banks, though it’s now largely silted up and overgrown with rushes and reeds.

The site has undergone significant changes over the centuries, particularly on its southern side where, according to local accounts, the bank was levelled and the fosse filled in to allow farm animals access to the interior. This practical modification reflects the site’s transition from its original defensive or residential purpose to agricultural use. Today, a feeding stall for farm animals occupies the southeastern quadrant of the interior, whilst a modern slurry pit sits about two metres beyond the outer edge of the moat on the eastern side.

The 1936 Ordnance Survey six-inch map still showed the complete fosse on the southern side, indicating that these alterations are relatively recent in the site’s long history. Such moated sites are typical of Anglo-Norman settlement patterns in medieval Ireland, often marking the locations of defended farmsteads or minor manor houses. Despite its modifications, this example at Cloonmore remains a tangible link to Cork’s medieval past, its earthworks still clearly visible in the landscape even as they serve new purposes in the modern farmyard.