This rectangular earthwork, measuring approximately 32 metres from northeast to southwest and 20 metres from northwest to southeast, has been a fixture on Ordnance Survey maps since 1839. The first edition six-inch map shows it as a clear rectangular enclosure with a field boundary running along its northeastern edge, whilst the 1900-01 revision depicts the same structure with notably curved southern and western corners.

The site has suffered considerable erosion over the centuries, leaving behind subtle traces rather than dramatic earthworks. When archaeologist Barry surveyed the location in 1977, he noted its central position on the slope but found it to be in poor condition, with no visible banks remaining. Despite this deterioration, the consistent appearance of the enclosure on historical maps spanning over sixty years suggests it was once a significant landscape feature, likely dating to the medieval period when moated sites were commonly constructed across Ireland.

These types of moated enclosures typically served as defensive homesteads for Anglo-Norman settlers or prosperous Irish families during the 13th to 15th centuries. They consisted of a central platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch, which provided both security and status. Whilst the Kilkieran example may lack the impressive earthworks seen at better-preserved sites, its persistent outline in the landscape and cartographic record offers a glimpse into the medieval settlement patterns of rural Kilkenny.