The stone appeared on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map, marking its presence in what was then, and remains today, good agricultural land with sweeping views across the border towards County Tyrone. However, by the time archaeological surveys were conducted in the late 20th century, no physical trace of this ancient monument could be found.

The absence of this standing stone raises intriguing questions about Ireland’s prehistoric landscape and how it has changed over time. Standing stones, which date from the Bronze Age through to the early medieval period, were erected for various purposes; some marked burial sites, others served as territorial boundaries, and many likely held ritual or astronomical significance for the communities that raised them. The disappearance of the Clonleigh South stone could be attributed to agricultural improvement works, where such monuments were often removed to facilitate ploughing, or it may have been repurposed as building material during the construction of local field walls or buildings.

This lost monument was documented as part of the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled by Brian Lacey and his team in 1983. Their work, which catalogues field antiquities from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, serves as a crucial record of sites that have been destroyed or lost to time. The survey reminds us that Ireland’s archaeological heritage is not just found in prominent monuments like passage tombs or stone circles, but also in these more modest markers that once dotted the countryside, each telling its own story of the people who shaped this landscape thousands of years ago.