Measuring 1.35 metres by 0.78 metres and oriented north to south, this ancient monolith has watched over the landscape for countless centuries. The stone’s most colourful tale comes from Dr. Pococke, who visited in 1752 and recorded local folklore claiming this was “Fin McCoue’s shoulder stone”, which the legendary figure supposedly hurled about like a quoit for his own amusement. Whether you believe the giant’s tale or not, the sheer scale of this standing stone certainly makes such stories feel almost plausible.

The site has attracted archaeological interest over the years, most recently in 2007 when Anne Carey conducted trial trenching in the surrounding area ahead of a proposed housing development. Six trenches were excavated around the stone’s location, though nothing of additional archaeological significance was uncovered during these investigations. This lack of associated finds is fairly typical for Irish standing stones; many were erected in isolation, their original purposes now lost to time.

Standing stones like this one dot the Irish countryside, silent witnesses to prehistoric communities who erected them for reasons we can only speculate about today. They might have served as territorial markers, commemorative monuments, or held ritual significance we’ll never fully understand. What we do know is that this particular stone has stood its ground for millennia, accumulating stories and legends whilst remaining firmly rooted in its Donegal home, a testament to both ancient engineering and the enduring power of local mythology.