That ditch, known as a fosse, is what distinguishes a rath of this type from a simple single-banked enclosure; the combination of inner bank, fosse, and outer bank would have made the whole structure a considerably more formidable boundary than it might appear today. What makes this particular example quietly interesting is how well the southern half has survived, while the northern arc of the enclosing elements has been lost entirely, leaving the monument feeling almost like a half-finished diagram of itself.

Raths of this kind were the dominant form of rural settlement across early medieval Ireland, roughly between the fifth and twelfth centuries, typically enclosing the farmstead of a single family of some local standing. The Curraghcreen example measures 44 metres north to south and 38.5 metres east to west, placing it solidly within the typical size range for such sites. Its entrance, 4.5 metres wide, faces south, which is a fairly common orientation, possibly reflecting practical considerations of prevailing wind and light. Later agricultural activity has left its mark in the form of a field wall that cuts across the monument at both the north-east and north-west, a reminder that for many centuries earthworks like this were simply part of the working landscape, as likely to be pressed into service as a convenient boundary as to be regarded as anything ancient or significant.