What was once marked as ‘erect stones’ on the first edition Ordnance Survey 6-inch map has vanished from its recorded location, leaving archaeologists scratching their heads. The site, positioned on rough ground sloping southwest towards Lough Swilly, was originally catalogued as standing stone DG019:015 in the Sites and Monuments Record. When archaeologist Ciara McManus arrived in 2000 to assess the area for a proposed house development, she discovered the original stone had disappeared; however, two previously unrecorded standing stones had mysteriously appeared in a field across the road, likely the relocated remains of the original monument.

The site has been subject to two separate archaeological assessments, both yielding surprisingly little evidence of ancient activity despite its proximity to known prehistoric monuments. McManus’s initial excavation in 2000 involved three test trenches within the proposed development area, each carefully stripped of topsoil to reveal the orange and white sandy boulder clay beneath. Eight years later, when plans for the dwelling were relocated slightly northward, archaeologist Aaron Johnston returned to conduct further testing, this time excavating four longer trenches measuring up to 60 metres in length. Both investigations came up empty handed; no archaeological features, artefacts, or evidence of prehistoric activity were found beneath the grey, loamy topsoil.

The absence of finds is particularly intriguing given the site’s location within the constraint rings of both a megalithic tomb (DG019:014) and the original standing stone site. These monuments typically indicate areas of significant prehistoric activity, yet the thorough excavations revealed nothing but undisturbed subsoil. Whether the original standing stones were moved in antiquity or more recent times remains unknown, though their apparent relocation across the road suggests they retained some significance to the local community, even if their original context has been lost to time.