This rath, measuring 32 metres in internal diameter, consists of a circular area protected by an earthen bank, a defensive ditch or fosse up to 4 metres wide, and an additional outer bank. The site occupies an advantageous position on gently sloping ground that descends towards Lough Swilly, offering both defensive benefits and proximity to water resources that would have been essential for its inhabitants.

The ringfort’s current appearance may not entirely reflect its original form. When first recorded on the Ordnance Survey’s 6-inch map in the 19th century, it was depicted as having an irregular shape, though subsequent tree planting appears to have altered its profile somewhat. A causeway on the eastern side likely marks the original entrance, a common feature in ringforts that allowed controlled access whilst maintaining the defensive integrity of the earthen banks and ditch.

As one of thousands of ringforts scattered across the Irish landscape, this example at Roughan Glebe represents the most common type of settlement from the early medieval period, roughly spanning from 500 to 1200 AD. These enclosed farmsteads housed extended families and their livestock, serving as centres of agricultural production and local power. The choice of location, with its good agricultural land and strategic views across the surrounding countryside towards Lough Swilly, suggests this was home to a family of some standing in the local community.