This distinctive curved boundary sets it apart from the typical rectangular burial grounds found across Ireland, suggesting that the site may have served as a sacred space long before its current use. The graveyard’s form follows patterns often seen in early Christian or even pre-Christian ritual sites, where circular and subcircular enclosures marked places of particular spiritual significance.

Just 200 metres to the east lies a holy well dedicated to St. Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron saints whose cult merged seamlessly with earlier pagan traditions. These wells, scattered throughout the Irish landscape, served as focal points for community worship and healing rituals that continued well into the modern era. The proximity of the well to the burial ground suggests a longstanding sacred landscape here, where the living came to seek cures and blessings whilst the dead found their final rest nearby.

The site was documented as part of the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, a comprehensive catalogue compiled in 1983 that recorded field antiquities spanning from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century. This survey, undertaken by Brian Lacey and his team of archaeologists, captured details of thousands of monuments across the county, preserving knowledge of sites that might otherwise have been forgotten or destroyed by development. Their work provides invaluable context for understanding how places like this Drumkeen burial ground fit into the broader tapestry of Donegal’s archaeological heritage.