This square-shaped earthwork, measuring roughly 43 metres from north to east and 39 metres from east to south, represents a type of defensive settlement that was once common across Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period. The site is defined by a substantial earthen and stone bank that’s remarkably wide; its flat top spans 2.2 metres across, whilst the base extends to over 5 metres. From inside the enclosure, the bank rises only about 40 centimetres, but from the outside it presents a more formidable barrier of up to 1.85 metres high.

Surrounding this bank is an external fosse, or defensive ditch, approximately 3 metres wide and half a metre deep on its outer edge. What appears to be an original entrance gap, about 3.2 metres wide, can be seen at the northeast corner of the enclosure. Intriguingly, there’s another possible ringwork situated just 50 metres to the southeast, suggesting this area may have held particular strategic or economic importance during medieval times.

The site hasn’t escaped modern intrusions entirely. A road now cuts through the eastern section, destroying portions of both the bank and fosse from east to south. There’s also a 4-metre gap in the bank at the west-southwest corner, though this appears to be a more recent addition rather than an original feature. Despite these alterations, the moated site at Gorteenaphooka remains a tangible reminder of how medieval settlers shaped and defended their landscape in rural Ireland.