A souterrain, to give it its proper name, is a man-made underground structure, typically built from stone, consisting of one or more chambers or tunnels cut into the earth or lined with dry-stone walling. They are found across Ireland in considerable numbers, most often associated with early medieval settlement, and are thought to have served as places of refuge, food storage, or both. The one at Carrowmoremoy is recorded as a known monument, which places it in the company of a landscape far older and more layered than it might first appear to a passing eye.