Beneath those stones, according to tradition, lies a stone-lined passage: a souterrain, which is an underground structure of the early medieval period, typically built by hand from dry-laid stone and used variously for storage, refuge, or as an annex to a nearby settlement.

The souterrain sits within, or in close relation to, a circular enclosure, a type of feature common across Cork and much of Ireland, generally interpreted as the remains of a ringfort, the enclosed farmstead of an early medieval family or household. The pairing is not unusual; souterrains are frequently found in association with ringforts, often positioned near the inner edge of the bank or beneath the enclosed area itself. What makes this one quietly interesting is the survival of local knowledge pointing to the entrance. Such oral tradition, passed down and attached to a specific spot, often outlasts the visible archaeology by centuries, preserving a functional memory of a place long after its original purpose has been forgotten.