A rath, as these earthwork ringforts are commonly known, is a roughly circular enclosure defined by one or more banks and ditches, built most commonly during the early medieval period, roughly between the fifth and twelfth centuries. They served as farmsteads and homesteads for families of varying social rank, and their earthen walls, though often worn down by centuries of weathering and agriculture, can still read clearly in the right light, particularly from above or at a low sun angle.

Ringforts are among the most numerous monument types in Ireland, with estimates running to around forty to fifty thousand surviving examples across the island, yet each one occupies a specific piece of ground with its own microhistory. The name Knockaclogher itself is worth a moment's attention. Townland names in Kerry frequently preserve older Irish forms, and the element "cnoc", meaning hill, is common across the county. The precise history of this particular enclosure, including when it was constructed, who built it, and what later use if any was made of the site, is not currently documented in accessible public records.