This roughly rectangular enclosure, measuring approximately 80 metres east to west and 41 metres north to south, represents a type of defensive structure that became common across Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period. The site is defined by a scarp with remnants of an earthen bank, about 3.8 metres wide, which rises roughly 3.5 metres above the surrounding landscape on its outer face whilst maintaining a more modest 0.2 metre height on the interior.

Surrounding this raised platform, an external fosse, or defensive ditch, once provided additional protection for whoever called this place home. This water-filled moat, approximately 4.8 metres wide and 1.6 metres deep, would have served both defensive and drainage purposes in this marshy terrain. Whilst no visible evidence remains of the original entrance, such sites typically featured a causeway or drawbridge arrangement that could be defended or removed as needed.

These moated sites, particularly common in Laois and the surrounding counties, were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries. They served as fortified farmsteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or Gaelicised Norman families, offering protection in a landscape where raids and territorial disputes were commonplace. The choice of wetland for this particular site was likely deliberate; the natural boggy conditions would have enhanced the defensive capabilities of the moat whilst potentially providing good agricultural land once drained.