These beehive shaped huts, constructed without mortar using a corbelling technique, were once common across Ireland's western seaboard. The stones are carefully selected and positioned so that each course slightly overlaps the one below, gradually narrowing until a single capstone completes the dome. This particular example in Ballyliffin forms part of the broader archaeological landscape of the Inishowen Peninsula, an area rich in prehistoric and early Christian monuments.

While the exact age and purpose of many clochans remain debated amongst archaeologists, they likely served various functions throughout history; as temporary shelters for shepherds, storage for tools and crops, or possibly as monks' cells during the early Christian period. The Ballyliffin clochan shares construction techniques with similar structures found on the Dingle Peninsula and the Aran Islands, suggesting widespread knowledge of this building method across Atlantic Ireland. The skill required to create these weatherproof structures without binding materials demonstrates the sophisticated understanding of engineering principles possessed by their builders.