Three sides of a small sub-rectangular structure are still legible in the landscape, defined by well-embedded stones that have held their position while many others lie scattered around them. The footprint measures roughly 2.2 metres on its north-west to south-east axis and about 1.8 metres across, which gives a sense of just how compact and functional the original shelter must have been.

Structures of this kind, sometimes called hut sites, represent some of the most unassuming survivals in the Irish archaeological record. They are the remains of simple, often single-roomed shelters, and they appear across upland commons and marginal land throughout Munster and beyond. Without excavation it is difficult to assign a precise date, but such sites are frequently associated with later prehistoric or early medieval settlement, and their presence on common ground suggests they may have served seasonal or agricultural purposes rather than permanent habitation. The Ballard Commons example sits within a landscape that would have been worked and grazed over a very long period, which perhaps explains why so many of the surrounding stones have been disturbed and displaced over time.