A rath, the Irish term for a ringfort, was the standard form of rural settlement across Ireland roughly between the fifth and twelfth centuries: a circular or sub-circular area of ground enclosed by one or more earthen banks, within which a farming family would have kept their home, their livestock, and their stores. This example at Guhard is univallate, meaning it has a single enclosing bank rather than the two or three rings that marked higher-status sites.

The enclosure measures roughly 39 metres north to south and 35 metres east to west, giving it a footprint not unlike a large field. The earthen bank that defines it is today considerably reduced, standing between 0.7 metres and 1.6 metres on its outer face and about 0.7 metres on the inside, with a base width averaging 6.7 metres. On the eastern side, a gap of 4 metres marks what was the original entrance, and a gate has at some point been incorporated into the bank at this location, suggesting the feature has continued to serve a practical agricultural function long after its original purpose was forgotten. Immediately outside this opening, a fieldbank runs alongside a small stream flowing north to south, details that give a sense of how older boundaries and water features tend to accumulate around ancient enclosures in the Irish countryside.