This rectangular earthwork, measuring approximately 48 metres east to west and 43 metres north to south, represents a type of medieval defensive site commonly found throughout Ireland. Though centuries of agricultural activity have levelled much of the original structure, careful observation reveals the ghostly outline of this ancient stronghold still imprinted on the landscape.

The site’s most visible feature today is its northern perimeter, which has been cleverly incorporated into the modern field boundary, preserving at least part of the original defensive line. Walking the rest of the circuit, visitors can trace a wide, shallow depression that marks where the earthen banks once stood; the southern section remains the best preserved, with the depression reaching about 7.6 metres in width and 0.2 metres in depth. These subtle undulations in the ground might seem unremarkable to the casual observer, but they represent the footprint of a structure that likely served as a focal point for the local community during troubled times.

Such moated sites, as they’re known to archaeologists, were typically constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries, often by Anglo-Norman settlers or Gaelicised families seeking to establish defendable homesteads in the Irish countryside. The location on Inishmore, with its proximity to Carrafin Lough, would have provided both a strategic defensive position and access to water, essential elements for any medieval settlement hoping to withstand siege or raid.