The first and second editions of the OS 6-inch maps, drawn up in the 19th century, confidently labelled this spot as ‘Standing Stone’, whilst the third edition more cautiously amended this to ‘Standing Stone (site of)’, acknowledging its disappearance. Today, nothing remains of this ancient monument; the land now serves as good pasture, sloping gently towards the south and west.

The loss of this standing stone represents a common fate for many of Ireland’s prehistoric monuments, particularly those situated on productive agricultural land. These solitary stones, erected during the Bronze Age or earlier, served various purposes for ancient communities; they may have marked territorial boundaries, commemorated significant events, or held ritual significance. The Gortin North stone’s complete disappearance suggests it was likely removed for agricultural improvement or repurposed as building material, a practice that was especially common during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The site’s documentation comes from the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled in 1983 by Brian Lacey and his team of archaeologists. This survey, which catalogues field antiquities from the Mesolithic Period through to the 17th century, serves as a crucial record of both surviving monuments and those known only through historical documentation. For sites like Gortin North, where physical evidence has been erased, these historical maps and surveys provide the only testimony to Ireland’s lost archaeological heritage.