A rath is an earthen ringfort, the most common type of enclosed settlement in early medieval Ireland, typically dating from roughly the sixth to the twelfth century. This one survives in reasonable shape on rising grassland, its roughly circular outline measuring about 35 metres north to south and 33 metres east to west. It is defined by a substantial earthen bank and a wide, deep external fosse, the fosse being the ditch dug to provide the material for the bank and to add an extra layer of defence or enclosure. The bank has been noticeably steepened along its eastern to south-western arc, where a field fence now cuts across it, marking the townland boundary with Galmoylestown Lower. The north-western portion of the perimeter has been quarried away at some point, an all too common fate for earthworks that were once seen as convenient sources of loose material. Inside, the ground slopes from north-east to south-west, and there are traces of cultivation ridges, suggesting that at some stage, probably long after the fort's original use, the enclosed area was put to agricultural work.