That level of precision is itself a small clue to how well this particular rath has survived. Most examples have been levelled by centuries of agriculture, but here the inner bank and its accompanying fosse, the defensive ditch that runs between bank and any outer perimeter, remain legible in the landscape.

A rath is an early medieval farmstead enclosure, typically dating from roughly the sixth to the twelfth century, built from the earth thrown up when its surrounding fosse was dug. They were the everyday dwellings of farming families across Ireland, and thousands once existed; a great many have since vanished under the plough. This one retains traces of a second, outer bank at the north-west, suggesting it may have been a more substantial or carefully defended enclosure than the average single-bank example. A later field boundary has been built directly over the inner bank along its eastern and southern arc, which means that while the monument has been partially disturbed, it has also, in a sense, been absorbed into the working landscape rather than simply demolished. The gap visible on the eastern side may be the original entrance, though the possibility that it was created or widened at a later date cannot be ruled out. More intriguing still is the probable souterrain within the interior. A souterrain is an underground passage or chamber, usually stone-lined, associated with storage or refuge, and their presence within raths suggests a degree of planning and effort that goes beyond simple animal enclosure. A separate enclosure once stood roughly 50 metres to the south-west, hinting that this was not an isolated farmstead but part of a wider pattern of settlement across this part of north Galway.