Andrew Barnard

Explorer Tom Roneragh House is a grand old Victorian hotel that’s sadly out of use now. It’s got red clay tiles and canted bays that make it look like a storybook villain’s mansion. The picturesque composition is still there, so just enjoy the view without expecting a hot drink.

Explorer Tom Glencairn was built in 1871 and has a door with incised floral motifs on it. I bet the person who carved them got really bored halfway through and started drawing tiny, very serious flowers that look like they’re trying to escape.

Explorer Tom Carrowmullin Megalithic Tomb has four slabs rising from a long grassy mound near Lough Swilly. The survey could not settle the monument's original form. A nineteenth-century account also linked it to St Mura's annual prayer circuit. An uncertain ancient structure and a recorded later tradition are two different stories occupying the same ground.

Explorer Tom Figary Bronze Age Cist Cemetery is a ghost of a place, but that plano-convex knife still haunts the soil. Imagine pulling up that sharp little blade next to an urn and some bones. It’s like finding a single pixel from a deleted game.

Explorer Tom Lisfannon is the sort of beach that changes its stage set with the tide. The Swilly estuary lays out shallow water, sand and mud flats in turn. A 2019 state report notes otters among the wildlife here. I would watch the stage changes from dry ground and let the tide run the show.

Explorer Tom Inch Island sits quietly near Grianan of Aileach, acting like it doesn’t know how famous its neighbour is. It’s keeping to itself, which I respect. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans whatsoever.

Explorer Tom Rathmullan Beach starts at the pier and keeps strolling past Kinnegar toward the Glebe outcrop. If sand could wear walking boots, this strip would be lacing them up. A 2019 Lough Swilly report also notes otters among the wildlife; I would leave any real otter sighting to patience and luck.

Explorer Tom Cashel Hill in County Donegal makes a low, moaning groan at night that sounds exactly like a ghost who just stubbed its toe on a rock. It’s very dramatic for a hill. Tell it a joke, it's been a long time since anyone did, and it might laugh out loud.

Explorer Tom Wych Elm in County Donegal is basically a giant green umbrella that refuses to fold up for anyone. It’s providing shade, shelter, and a sense of purpose to whoever planted it ages ago. Stand where the owner stood and practise looking smug, like you know something about trees.

Explorer Tom Children's playground in County Donegal hits different if you’re hungover and holding a sausage roll. It’s the only way to appreciate the sheer chaos of this lovely spot. Best seen with a hangover and a sausage roll.

Explorer Tom Rathmullan Fort is recorded as a fort in County Donegal, and its name sounds like it belongs to a place with a long history of people settling by the water. I imagine it’s one of those spots where you can see how the landscape guided where people built their defenses. It’s the kind of place that makes you think about the practical needs of life in a coastal area.

Explorer Tom The White Harte in Rathmullan is right by Kerrs Bay, likely watching boats go by. It's a pub with a name that sounds like a unicorn. Go ask for one, but don't be surprised when you get a pint instead.