The whole thing, bank and interior alike, has been swallowed by vegetation, which gives it an oddly preserved quality, as though the land itself decided to keep it.

This is a rath, the most common type of early medieval enclosure in Ireland. Typically dated to somewhere between the sixth and tenth centuries, raths were built as enclosed farmsteads, their raised earthen banks and outer ditches, known as a fosse, defining a household's space and offering a modest degree of security for livestock and family. Most were home to a single farming family rather than any kind of defensive garrison. The Ballyshoneen example measures roughly thirty-five metres across, which is a fairly typical size, and retains its entrance gap on the southern side, a detail recorded by Hartnett in 1939. That the fosse remains waterlogged is notable; it suggests the earthworks have not been significantly disturbed or drained, and the original form of the enclosure survives in reasonable condition beneath the overgrowth.