The subrectangular enclosure shows up clearly from above, captured in GSI aerial survey S 150-1, though anyone walking across the field today would find no trace of the structure that once stood here. Time, agriculture, and the elements have erased all visible surface remains, leaving only the faint impression captured from the air.

Moated sites like this one were typically built by Anglo-Norman colonists and wealthy Irish families during the medieval period. They consisted of a rectangular platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch or moat, which served both defensive and status purposes. The platform would have supported a timber hall or stone building, along with various outbuildings for agricultural storage and livestock. These sites represent an important phase in Irish rural settlement history, marking the spread of new agricultural practices and social structures across the countryside.

The documentation of this particular site comes from the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois, published in 1995 by the Dublin Stationery Office. Compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock, and Bernie Moran, the inventory represents a comprehensive survey of the county’s archaeological heritage. While the original entry was uploaded to digital records in December 2007, ongoing research continues to shed new light on these medieval settlements and their role in shaping the Irish landscape we see today.