First documented on the 1839 Ordnance Survey six-inch map and labelled simply as ‘Rath’, this intriguing site originally comprised three sides of a rectangle, with the northern, eastern and southern boundaries clearly defined whilst the river itself formed, or perhaps had already consumed, the western edge. The later OS 25-inch map reveals more detail about the monument’s dimensions; approximately 52 metres from north to south and an estimated 46 metres from east to west in its surviving form, though by this time the river had begun to flow through the enclosure itself, creating a curious rectangular island measuring roughly 30 by 25 metres in the interior.

Despite its designation as a ‘rath’ on historical maps, this monument displays characteristics that set it apart from typical Irish ringforts. Its rectangular shape and riverside location suggest it may have served as a moated site, possibly taking advantage of its strategic position near Bishop’s Island where the river could be forded. The enclosure’s unusual morphology hints at a different purpose from the circular or oval earthworks typically associated with raths; instead pointing towards a defensive or administrative structure that utilised the River Barrow as both a natural barrier and a source of water for its moat.

Today, no visible traces of this monument remain above ground. The River Barrow has been significantly altered through dredging and straightening works, with spoil from these operations now piled along the eastern bank where the enclosure once stood. What survives is the cartographic record and the tantalising questions about this site’s original function; whether it served as a fortified residence, a river crossing point, or perhaps fulfilled some other purpose lost to the centuries of erosion and human intervention that have reshaped this stretch of the Barrow valley.