This defensive position would have given its occupants clear sight lines across the surrounding countryside, a crucial advantage in medieval Ireland when raids and territorial disputes were common. The tower house itself forms part of the southern boundary of what was once a fortified enclosure, its grass-covered remains still visible today.

The enclosure takes the shape of an irregular trapezoid, measuring 53 metres from northwest to southeast. Its northeastern to southwestern dimensions vary considerably; 40 metres wide at the northern end, expanding to 66 metres at the southern end where the tower house stands. These boundaries are marked by a slight scarp, no more than half a metre high in places, along with traces of an old fosse or defensive ditch that once measured about 4 metres wide.

Though time has softened these defensive earthworks into gentle undulations in the landscape, they represent centuries of Irish history. The combination of tower house and bawn enclosure was a typical arrangement for Anglo-Norman and Gaelic lords from the 15th to 17th centuries, providing both a fortified residence and a secure area for livestock and retainers during times of conflict. Today, these grassy remnants at Ballyclohy offer visitors a chance to trace the footprint of a once-formidable stronghold.