Measuring 1.88 metres in height and 1.44 metres at its widest point, with a thickness of 0.6 metres, this ancient marker rises from what is notably good agricultural land. The stone is oriented along a north-northwest to south-southeast axis, a positioning that may have held significance for those who erected it thousands of years ago.

Standing stones like the one at Carnowen are amongst Ireland's most enigmatic archaeological features, with their original purposes still debated by historians and archaeologists. They may have served as territorial markers, commemorative monuments, or held ritual significance in prehistoric societies. Some theories suggest astronomical alignments, whilst others propose they marked ancient routeways or burial sites. The fertile ground surrounding this particular stone hints that the area has long been valued for settlement and farming, making it a focal point in the landscape for generations.

The monument was formally documented in the Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, a comprehensive catalogue compiled by Brian Lacey and his team in 1983. This survey represents one of the most thorough archaeological inventories in Ireland, recording field antiquities from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century. The Carnowen standing stone, like many of Donegal's prehistoric monuments, offers a tangible connection to the county's ancient past, standing sentinel over a landscape that has been continuously inhabited and farmed for millennia.