The name Carrownanelly derives from the Irish, most likely incorporating the word ceathrú, meaning a quarter or division of land, a unit common across the west of Ireland in the old Gaelic system of landholding. The structure itself belongs to that broad and ancient category of megalithic monuments, large-scale constructions built from substantial stones, that were raised across Ireland during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, roughly between five thousand and three thousand years ago. These monuments took many forms, from portal tombs and passage graves to stone circles and standing stones, and Clare has its share of each.

Beyond the classification and the townland name, the specific details of this particular site remain largely inaccessible through the usual channels. What can be said is that the Burren and its fringes, which cover much of north Clare, contain one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric monuments in Ireland. The limestone landscape, which suppresses heavy vegetation and preserves surface features unusually well, has allowed many megalithic structures to survive above ground that might elsewhere have vanished under soil and scrub. Whether Carrownanelly falls within the Burren proper or in the more agricultural lowlands to the south or east of the county, the presence of a megalithic structure there fits a long pattern of prehistoric activity across Clare that stretches back thousands of years before written record.