That is, in essence, everything that is certain about it, and that uncertainty is part of what makes it quietly compelling.

Cupmarks, the shallow rounded hollows pecked into rock surfaces, appear across Ireland, Britain, and much of Atlantic Europe, and they remain stubbornly difficult to interpret. They are generally associated with the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, but their purpose is not agreed upon. Ritual use, territorial marking, astronomical alignment, and even practical functions have all been proposed at various times. The dumb-bell motif at Derreennatra is less common than the plain cup, and its presence alongside thirteen individual marks gives this particular stone a slightly more elaborate character than many comparable examples. Finlay, writing in 1973, recorded the stone in its present condition, supported on smaller rocks and lying in pasture, which suggests it may have been moved or repositioned at some point, though when and by whom is not recorded.