This Norman motte and bailey earthwork consists of a substantial flat-topped mound measuring 20.5 metres across at its summit and approximately 37 metres at its base, rising to a height of 5.7 metres. The defensive fosse, or ditch, survives on the northeastern and eastern sides, spanning 11 metres in width and reaching depths of 1.5 metres. Two large circular depressions, each about 5 metres wide and a metre deep, mark the top of the motte; these are modern intrusions rather than original features, positioned at the northeast and southeast corners.

The rectangular bailey extends southeast from the motte, covering an area of 77 by 50 metres and standing 1.6 metres high. Unlike many similar fortifications, there’s no evident fosse separating the bailey from the motte; instead, the bailey’s boundaries are defined by deliberate scarping of the natural terrain. This arrangement suggests the builders relied on the surrounding marshy landscape as a natural defence, supplementing it with earthworks where the terrain was more accessible.

Archaeological surveys conducted in the 1980s and early 1990s documented these remains as part of County Louth’s medieval heritage. The site represents a typical example of Anglo-Norman military architecture in Ireland, where timber palisades and buildings would once have crowned both the motte and bailey, serving as both a defensive stronghold and administrative centre for the surrounding territory.