The 1841 Ordnance Survey 6-inch map marks this site as a subcircular enclosure, roughly 40 metres across from northwest to southeast, containing two smaller enclosures at either end. Archaeologists believe this unusual double arrangement may represent a rare example of a double motte and bailey fortification, though centuries of agricultural use have erased any visible surface features.

The site caught the attention of archaeologist Martin Byrne in 2003, who conducted test excavations under licence to better understand its history and construction. These medieval fortifications, typically built by the Anglo-Normans following their arrival in Ireland in the late 12th century, consisted of a raised earthen mound (the motte) topped with a wooden tower, alongside an enclosed courtyard (the bailey) for additional buildings. The double configuration at Cooltedery suggests either two phases of construction or perhaps the need to defend two separate approaches to the site.

While there's little to see on the ground today, the site remains significant as part of the broader network of Anglo-Norman fortifications that once dotted the Laois landscape. These earthwork castles represented the first wave of Norman colonisation in Ireland, serving as both military strongholds and administrative centres as the newcomers attempted to control and settle their newly conquered territories. The information about this site comes from the Archaeological Inventory of County Laois, compiled in 1995 by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran, with updates from more recent archaeological work.