This example of ancient rock art was first identified by researcher M.A.M. Van Hoek during fieldwork in 1987, when he noted its position roughly 10 metres southwest of another documented rock art site known as DON 1. Though Van Hoek described some of the markings as "doubtful", suggesting uncertainty about whether all the features were deliberately carved or naturally occurring, the outcrop remains an intriguing piece of Donegal's archaeological heritage.

The rock art of County Donegal represents thousands of years of human activity, with prehistoric communities leaving their mark on the landscape through carved symbols, cup marks, and other enigmatic designs. These carvings, typically dating from the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods, offer tantalising glimpses into the beliefs and practices of Ireland's earliest inhabitants. The Carrickabraghy example, projecting prominently from the hillside, would have been a notable feature in the ancient landscape, possibly serving as a territorial marker, ritual site, or waypoint for prehistoric travellers.

Van Hoek's systematic documentation of Donegal's rock art in the 1980s helped establish a comprehensive record of these fragile archaeological features, many of which had gone unrecorded for centuries. His work, published in the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, continues to serve as a valuable resource for understanding the distribution and variety of prehistoric rock art across the county. While the exact meaning of these ancient carvings may remain elusive, sites like the one at Carrickabraghy connect modern visitors directly to the creative impulses of people who lived in this landscape thousands of years ago.