These earthwork enclosures, typically dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, were defensive homesteads built by Anglo-Norman settlers and wealthy Irish families. The rectangular outline of this particular site appeared clearly on the 1841 Ordnance Survey map, though by 1909, only its eastern corner remained distinct, stretching approximately 35 metres from northeast to east-southeast.

Today, the site tells a story of gradual decay and partial destruction. Whilst much of the original structure has been lost to time and development, portions of the defensive bank still stand along the eastern and southeastern boundaries. These surviving earthworks offer a tangible connection to medieval Ireland, when such moated sites served as fortified farmsteads; complete with timber halls, outbuildings, and the characteristic water-filled ditches that gave them their name.

The site’s documentation comes from the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois, compiled in 1995 by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock, and Bernie Moran. Their work, along with subsequent research, helps preserve the memory of these rural medieval settlements that once dotted the Irish landscape, even as the physical remains continue to deteriorate.