This earthwork, measuring roughly 24 metres northwest to southeast and 21.5 metres northeast to southwest, consists of two concentric earthen banks with a defensive ditch, or fosse, running between them. While time and quarrying have taken their toll on parts of the structure, enough remains to paint a picture of what was once a formidable fortification.

The inner bank, which would have formed the primary defensive barrier, varies between 4.8 and 5.2 metres in width and still rises up to 1.5 metres on its external side. It’s best preserved along the southwestern and northwestern edges, though quarrying has damaged the northern end and completely obliterated the southeastern section. The fosse that separates the two banks, measuring less than a metre wide and around 0.7 metres deep where intact, follows a similar pattern of preservation; you can still trace its course along the southwestern and northwestern sides, but quarrying has destroyed much of the southeastern portion.

The outer bank, somewhat lower than its inner counterpart at just 0.25 metres external height, survives primarily along the northwestern side and the northern section of the northeastern edge. Unfortunately, extensive quarrying has not only damaged the defensive banks but has also eaten into the southern portion of the site’s interior, removing valuable archaeological evidence. Despite this damage, Frenchfort remains a fairly well-preserved example of a moated site, a type of fortification that became popular in Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period, typically serving as defended farmsteads for colonising families.