These structures served various purposes, most likely a combination of cold storage, refuge, and concealment, and they remain one of the more quietly compelling categories of Irish archaeological monument, largely because so much of what made them useful depended on their not being found.

Souterrains are distributed widely across Ireland, but Kerry has a notable concentration of them, reflecting the density of early medieval settlement in the province of Munster. They were typically built between roughly the seventh and twelfth centuries, constructed by hand in a landscape without mechanised earthmoving, which makes even the most modest example a significant undertaking. The Gowlane example is a recorded monument, meaning its location and existence have been formally noted, though the details of its construction, condition, and any associated features remain, for now, undocumented in the public record.