The fosse here is notably narrow and deep, and in places still holds water, which gives a reasonable impression of how formidable such an enclosure would once have appeared to anyone approaching uninvited. Ringforts, sometimes called raths when they are earthen rather than stone-built, were the most common settlement type in early medieval Ireland, typically housing a farming family of some status. Most date to roughly the sixth through tenth centuries, though many were in use earlier or later.

This particular example has an internal diameter of 31.5 metres, which places it comfortably within the typical range for a single-family enclosure. The bank and fosse are well preserved along the arc running from the east-northeast, around the south, to the west-southwest, though the remainder has been largely infilled over time. A report prepared by the Office of Public Works in 1969 noted that the original entrance was positioned at the southeast, a common orientation for ringforts, which were often aligned to face the morning sun or to take advantage of sheltered approaches.