The site consists of a sub-rectangular platform measuring 46 metres north to south and 54 metres east to west, surrounded by an earthen bank that rises about 1.5 metres high. The bank’s distinctively rounded corners are characteristic of moated sites from this period, though the defensive ditch or fosse that would typically accompany such structures appears to be missing; likely destroyed when later field boundaries were cut across all four sides of the site.

This earthwork, known locally as ‘Raheen’ according to the first edition Ordnance Survey six-inch map, represents a type of fortified settlement that became common in Ireland during the Anglo-Norman period. Moated sites like this one were typically occupied by wealthy farming families who needed both security and a visible symbol of their status in the landscape. The raised platform would have supported timber buildings, whilst the surrounding bank and the now-lost water-filled ditch would have provided defence against raids and cattle rustling, common threats in medieval Ireland.

The site’s position on elevated ground would have given its inhabitants commanding views across the surrounding farmland, allowing them to monitor their holdings and spot approaching visitors or threats. Though time and agriculture have altered its original form, the earthwork remains an evocative reminder of how people lived, farmed, and defended themselves in medieval Offaly.