What appears at first glance to be a small cave has been partially walled off with stones, creating a sheltered space that once served as a dwelling. Local records from the 1834 Ordnance Survey Name Book tell of a 17th-century friar named Doherty who made this unlikely spot his home, though the structure itself likely predates his occupancy by centuries.

The site caught the attention of antiquarian William Copeland Borlase in 1897, who catalogued it as a dolmen; a classification that speaks more to Victorian enthusiasm for megalithic monuments than archaeological accuracy. Rather than being a true dolmen, which would typically consist of upright stones supporting a capstone, this appears to be a natural rock shelter that was modified with stone walling to create a more habitable space. Such adaptations of natural features were common throughout Ireland’s history, serving various purposes from hermit cells to temporary shelters.

Today, the structure stands as part of Ireland’s extensive archaeological record, officially documented in the Sites and Monuments Record since 1987. Its inclusion in the Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, despite not being a megalithic tomb in the traditional sense, reflects the complex history of how these sites have been interpreted and reinterpreted over time. Whether it served as a prehistoric shelter, a medieval hermitage, or simply a convenient refuge from Donegal’s unpredictable weather, this modest stone structure offers a tangible link to the resourcefulness of those who inhabited this landscape long before us.