These underground passages, built during the early medieval period, were once common throughout Ireland, serving as storage spaces, refuges, or perhaps holding ritual significance for the communities that constructed them. The Corkey souterrain, situated on what was described as good land with a northwestern slope, represents one of many such structures that dotted the Donegal landscape centuries ago.

What makes this particular site intriguing is its absence from historical records that one might expect to document it. Neither the first nor second editions of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps, those meticulous Victorian-era surveys that captured even the smallest details of the Irish landscape, show any trace of this underground structure. This omission suggests the souterrain may have already been lost, filled in, or simply overlooked by the time the surveyors arrived with their chains and theodolites in the 19th century.

The site's documentation comes from the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled in 1983 by Brian Lacey and his team of archaeologists. This comprehensive survey attempted to catalogue the county's archaeological heritage from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, preserving knowledge of sites like the Corkey souterrain that might otherwise be completely forgotten. Though the physical structure may no longer be accessible or even visible above ground, its inclusion in the archaeological record ensures that this piece of Donegal's subterranean heritage remains part of the historical narrative, a reminder of the complex lives and beliefs of those who once called these lands home.