This square earthwork, measuring 30 metres on each side, was once a defensive homestead typical of Anglo-Norman settlement patterns in Ireland during the 13th and 14th centuries. The site is defined by an earthen bank standing 1.2 metres high on its southern edge, with a scarp of about one metre to the west, whilst lower banks of roughly 35 centimetres mark the northern and eastern boundaries. You can still make out traces of the fosse, or defensive ditch, that once ran around the entire perimeter.

The interior of the enclosure has been cleverly engineered to compensate for the natural slope of the hill, with the western side slightly raised to create a level platform suitable for habitation. This kind of earthwork modification was common in medieval Ireland, where settlers needed to create defensible homesteads whilst working with challenging topography. Moated sites like this one were typically home to Anglo-Norman colonists or Gaelicised families of the middle ranks of society; prosperous enough to afford substantial earthwork defences but not wealthy enough for stone castles.

Archaeological surveys have documented hundreds of these moated sites across Ireland, particularly in counties like Cork where Anglo-Norman influence was strong. They represent an important chapter in Ireland’s medieval history, marking the transition between the early Norman conquest and the later medieval period when many settler families had become thoroughly integrated into Irish society. The Monteen site, recorded in the Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, stands as a well-preserved example of this distinctive settlement type.