These structures were built by laying split logs, branches, or planks across the soft terrain, sometimes pegged in place, sometimes simply weighted down by use and time. The Kilcrin example is classified as a class 2 togher, a designation that refers to its method of construction and the materials used, distinguishing it from simpler brushwood paths or more elaborate plank roads found elsewhere in Ireland.

Toghers as a category span a remarkable stretch of Irish prehistory and early history, with some examples dated to the Neolithic period and others continuing in use well into the medieval era. They survive because peat bogs are extraordinarily good at preserving organic material, keeping wood intact for thousands of years in conditions that would destroy almost anything else. The bog at Kilcrin would have presented a genuine obstacle to movement across the landscape, and whoever built this road did so with practical intent, connecting fields, settlements, or grazing lands that would otherwise have been effectively cut off for much of the year. The effort involved in sourcing, splitting, and laying timber across unstable ground should not be underestimated; these were deliberate, organised undertakings rather than casual paths.