A rath is an early medieval ringfort, typically dating from roughly the fifth to the twelfth century, built as an enclosed farmstead rather than a military fortification. Its circular banks and ditches defined a domestic space, protecting a family's home and livestock from livestock theft and opportunistic raiding.

The enclosure here measures approximately 57 metres north to south and 55 metres east to west, making it a reasonably substantial example of its type. It was defined by an earthen bank with an external fosse, which is simply a ditch dug to provide material for the bank and to add a further obstacle at the perimeter. The interior bank now stands only about 0.35 metres high, reduced by centuries of ploughing, but a second outer bank on the north-west to north-north-east arc survives to an exterior height of 1.1 metres, suggesting the site was once considerably more prominent in the landscape. The entrance faces east, a common orientation in Irish ringforts and one that may reflect practical concerns such as morning light or prevailing wind, though the reasoning is not fully settled among researchers.