What it actually represents is a rath, the Irish term for a ringfort, the most common monument type in the Irish landscape. Thousands were built between roughly the sixth and tenth centuries AD, typically serving as enclosed farmsteads for a single family and their livestock. Most are defined by a raised bank and an outer ditch, and this one in Gortnaboul follows that pattern, though the centuries have been unkind to parts of it.

The enclosure measures approximately 23 metres east to west and 22 metres north to south, with an earthen bank that varies considerably in how well it has survived. Along the south-south-west to north-west arc the bank is reasonably intact, reaching an external height of around 2.8 metres, while on the south-east to south side it has deteriorated badly. A narrow entrance, just two metres wide, opens to the south, the most common orientation for ringfort entrances. An outer fosse, essentially a ditch running around the outside of the bank, is still visible from the south-west round to the north-west, though it is shallow. The most intriguing feature lies in the southern half of the interior: a souterrain, which is an underground stone-lined passage or chamber, typically used for storage or as a place of refuge. The interior itself slopes gently down towards the east-south-east, and trees have taken hold around the perimeter on the south and west sides, softening the outline of the bank still further. It sits on an east-facing slope at the edge of the ridge, positioned to overlook the stream below, which suggests the choice of location was deliberate, combining a degree of elevation with access to water nearby.