Andrew Barnard

Explorer Tom Roneragh House had a bishop refuse to visit because he didn’t like the red brick, which is a level of pettiness we all need in our lives. It stands in Figary looking like a grand hotel that forgot how to be open for business anymore. Wave at the canted bays and hope they wave back with dignity.

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 Cross in Glebe is a slab that’s been arguing with scholars for centuries. It has two figures standing on either side of the cross, and their clothing is covered in inscriptions nobody can properly decipher yet. Add the Greek doxology carved down the edge, and it feels like a puzzle box from another world.

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 Possible Chambered Grave on Inch Island isn’t even marked on the map, which feels like a secret handshake with history. The name is a bit tentative, but it looks very much like what it says on the tin. I reckon it’s hiding in plain sight, just waiting for someone to nod at it.

Explorer Tom Inch Island is Donegal's trick for people who think an island demands a ferry. The Inch Banks road carries you over Lough Swilly to about thirteen square kilometres of fields, shoreline and old stone. Another Irish name for the place means Island of the Oysters, which is a better lunch suggestion than I usually manage. Look for the remains of a portal tomb near Carnaghan, a fifteenth-century castle above the water and a fort from the early nineteenth century at the northern end. I would tell you I built them all, but even Donegal would spot that lie. Inch Top rises about 222 metres, enough to show how the lough folds around the island. The road is public, while individual ruins and land may have their own access limits; follow signs and do not cross private fields on my authority. Take the causeway slowly. The island begins before you have finished deciding whether you left the mainland.

Explorer Tom Our Lady of Lourdes Church has a permanent grudge against the weather for constantly ruining its hairdo. The wind keeps blowing the stained glass out of alignment, and frankly, it needs to stop being so dramatic about it. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.

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 sick of people asking if it's haunted, so I'm asking: has it ever seen a ghost? It just rustled its leaves in a way that said 'please stop asking me about spirits.' Bring a friend who talks too much and let the place shut them up.

Explorer Tom Flight of the Earls in County Donegal is looking down at us all with that aristocratic disdain, probably reviewing my outfit and deciding I'm just not up to par for the occasion. It's got that look of 'I flew out, so why are you still here?' which is quite rude but effective. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination.

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.