Ringforts, or raths, are among the most common archaeological monuments in Ireland, typically consisting of a roughly circular area of raised ground enclosed by one or more earthen banks and ditches, and used as farmsteads during the early medieval period, roughly between the fifth and twelfth centuries. What makes this particular example at Aghateggal quietly unusual is the way water has been incorporated into its layout, intentionally or otherwise.

The site is an oval raised area, measuring approximately 41 metres east to west and 32.4 metres north to south internally, enclosed by a low earthen bank with traces of a fosse, the ditch that typically runs alongside such a bank. From the north-north-west around to the east-south-east, a trench outside the bank carries a stream, effectively turning a portion of the outer circuit into a water channel. The southern and western sides show no trace of a fosse at all, which suggests either that the natural topography made one unnecessary on those sides, or that the watercourse was considered sufficient defence for part of the perimeter. The present entrance on the eastern side may be original, meaning visitors approaching from that direction could be following the same line of access used by whoever lived here well over a thousand years ago.