The raised area measures roughly 41 metres north to south and 34 metres east to west, defined by a scarp, a sloped earthen edge, still standing about 0.9 metres high. It is modest by any measure, easy to walk past without a second glance, but that slight elevation in the grass is the surviving outline of what was almost certainly a ringfort, or rath.

Ringforts are among the most common archaeological monuments in Ireland, with tens of thousands recorded across the country. Most date from the early medieval period, roughly the fifth to the twelfth centuries, and they functioned primarily as enclosed farmsteads, the circular or oval earthen bank enclosing a family's living space and offering some protection for livestock. This particular example sits in the undulating landscape of south County Mayo, in the townland of Clooneenkillew, not far from the shores of Lough Mask and Lough Carra. A large area of disturbance on its south-western side suggests some interference over the centuries, whether from farming activity, quarrying, or simple neglect working on the softer earthwork over time. The site was recorded as part of an archaeological survey of the Ballinrobe district compiled by D. Lavelle in 1994.