It is sub-rectangular in shape, with a sloping top, and measures 1.2 metres high, roughly a metre wide, and about 20 centimetres thick. Its longer axis runs northwest to southeast, an orientation that may or may not be coincidental, though standing stones across Ireland are frequently noted for alignments that suggest their placement was deliberate rather than arbitrary.

Standing stones are among the most numerous and least understood monument types in the Irish archaeological record. They date broadly to the Bronze Age, though precise dating for individual stones is rarely possible without associated finds or excavation, and many remain unassigned to any specific period. Their functions are similarly open: they have been interpreted variously as boundary markers, memorial stones, astronomical indicators, and ritual focal points. The stone at Derryishal was reported by Michael Wilson, and its modest dimensions place it within the smaller end of the spectrum for such monuments, which can range from knee-height slabs to towering pillars several metres tall.