These structures are found across Ireland in their hundreds, dug by hand and corbelled with flat stones, and their purpose has long been debated. Refuge, storage, ceremonial space, or some combination of all three; the honest answer is that no single explanation fits every example, and Killeentierna's is no exception to that ambiguity.

Souterrains as a class belong broadly to the period between the sixth and twelfth centuries, often associated with ringforts or early ecclesiastical settlements. The name Killeentierna, derived from the Irish meaning something close to "church of Tighearna" or a personal name of that form, suggests an early Christian presence in the area, which would place this underground feature in plausible company. Kerry has a notable concentration of such monuments, partly because the region's relative isolation preserved landscapes that elsewhere were more thoroughly disturbed by later development. Beyond the placename and the classification, the specific details of this particular souterrain, its dimensions, construction, current condition, and exact location within the townland, are not presently available in the public record.