This circular enclosure, defined by a stone and earthen bank roughly half a metre high, has a single gap in its northeastern section that likely served as the original entrance. The site takes its name from local tradition, which holds that a termon cross once stood within its boundaries; a religious marker that would have designated sacred land under church protection. Adding weight to this story, the site is said to have been a waypoint for medieval pilgrims making their arduous journey to Lough Derg, one of Ireland’s most important pilgrimage destinations.

At the heart of the enclosure lies an oval pit measuring 2 metres by 1.25 metres and 0.6 metres deep, which may mark where a standing stone once stood. This stone, recorded on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps of the area, has since vanished, though it could well have been the very termon cross that gave Rathnacross its name. The southeastern quadrant contains a semicircular hollow, 2.5 metres across and 0.8 metres deep, which was probably repurposed as a lime kiln in more recent centuries; a common fate for many ancient sites as rural communities found practical uses for old earthworks.

The cross at nearby Drumawark offers a tangible connection to the religious landscape that Rathnacross was once part of. These sites, along with others scattered across Donegal, paint a picture of medieval Ireland where sacred boundaries, pilgrimage routes, and community life intersected in the landscape. While the physical cross at Rathnacross may be lost to time, the earthworks remain as testament to the site’s former significance, whether as a religious boundary marker, a pilgrim’s landmark, or perhaps both.