Because the ground slopes downward to the south-south-east, the interior of the enclosure would have tilted uncomfortably if left alone. Instead, the bank on the south-eastern side was built up to compensate, levelling the floor and giving the enclosed space a functional flatness that would have mattered considerably to whoever lived or worked within it.

This is a rath, the Irish term for a ringfort, the most common monument type in the Irish landscape. Ringforts were enclosed farmsteads, typically of the early medieval period, defined by one or more banks of earth or stone and used to protect a household and its livestock. The Kilmeedy example measures roughly 38.6 metres north to south and 36 metres east to west, making it a substantial specimen. An earthen bank, standing around 1.5 metres high on the interior, runs from the south-west around to the east-south-east, while a scarp, a steeper cut face into the hillside, rises to a maximum of 2.4 metres elsewhere. An external fosse, essentially a ditch, runs along the outer edge from south-west to north-west, adding a further layer of definition to the enclosure. The bank retains traces of stone-facing in parts, suggesting a degree of construction effort beyond simple piled earth. A single entrance, 3 metres wide, opens to the east, the orientation typical of many Irish ringforts and possibly reflecting a preference for morning light or, more practically, an approach from lower, more accessible ground.