Where fields now stretch across the landscape, a square-shaped enclosure once stood, its earthworks visible enough in 1840 to warrant inclusion on the first Ordnance Survey maps of the area. Today, the plough has erased any surface evidence of this structure, leaving only archaeological records to tell its story.

This lost enclosure wasn’t alone in the landscape. Just to the south lies another medieval earthwork; a moated site that speaks to the defensive concerns of settlers in medieval Ireland. These moated sites, typically dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, were often built by Anglo-Norman colonists who constructed water-filled ditches around their homesteads for protection. The proximity of these two sites suggests this area around Rathmoy was once a significant settlement zone, taking advantage of the fertile river floodplain whilst maintaining defensive positions.

The archaeological inventory compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O’Brien in 2002 provides the primary documentation for these sites, though ongoing research continues to refine our understanding of medieval settlement patterns in North Tipperary. While modern farming has obscured the physical remains, the historical maps and archaeological surveys preserve the memory of these medieval landscapes, offering glimpses into how communities once organised themselves along the Fishmoyne river valley.