The circular element is the kind of feature that might once have served as a ring fort or enclosure of some kind, though its precise function and date remain unconfirmed. What makes its situation unusual is the relationship with the rectangular earthwork surrounding it, which appears to belong to an entirely different tradition and period.

The rectangular enclosure is thought to be connected to a demesne, the managed parkland and grounds typically associated with a landed estate, suggesting it may be a relatively modern landscape feature in origin. If so, the circular enclosure pre-dates it, and the two have ended up sharing the same corner of ground across a considerable gap in time. The detail was brought to light by Colm Chambers and is visible on lidar imagery, a remote-sensing technology that uses laser pulses to reveal surface relief even where vegetation or ground cover would otherwise obscure it. Lidar has transformed the detection of low earthworks across Ireland in recent years, pulling features like this one back into view after centuries of gradual erasure.