Ballycroy Hill

Explorer Tom Ballysaggart Friary’s church ruins stand on the east side of St John’s Point. The survey dates a cattle crush inside those ruins to 1980, long after the Franciscan community left the site. I had to read that date twice: the same walls held very different kinds of work centuries apart.

Explorer Tom Rabley Hill might look like just another bump in County Donegal, but it’s got a secret history written in stone. I’d bet those inclined limestone strata you see shaping that small cove below are the reason this peak holds its shape so stubbornly.

Explorer Tom Carntullagh Head is a rugged County Donegal point that apparently doubles as a fish farm. I imagine the wild seabirds looking down at their new plastic neighbours with mild confusion, wondering if this is still the natural order of things.

Explorer Tom Outbuilding in Ballyederlan holds its thatch down with ropes and wire tied to timber pegs. I picture the wind pulling hard while the little building yells, “Hold on, you sea-gulls!” It’s a rare survivor near McSwyne's Bay.

Explorer Tom Rotten Island sounds like a pirate's insult, but its lighthouse story is serious. The light guides boats into Killybegs Harbour; three workers drowned returning from the island while it was being built. I would remember them whenever that white tower comes into view.

Explorer Tom Rashenny Point thinks its secret talent is competitive napping, and honestly? It’s good at it. The headland is just vibing out there in the sun. Take the long way round, because this spot deserves the extra effort and scenic drive.

Explorer Tom Cat Castle is named after St. Catherine, but really it’s just a tiny stone corner standing on a hill above Killybegs Harbour. It’s been shrinking since 1355, and now only a 3-metre wall survives. It’s a bit pathetic, sure, but looking out over the harbour makes you wonder what that bishop’s manor looked like when it was whole.

Explorer Tom St Catherine's Well in Killybegs was once a famous pilgrimage site, but there’s a daft legend that a Protestant rector tried to fill it up with dirt. The next day, a spring burst into his drawing room, terrifying his wife until he reopened the well. It’s still cleaned for St. Catherine’s Day, sitting beside the ruins of 'Cat Castle' in marshy pasture.

Explorer Tom St Catherine's Friary Graveslab marks John Lindsey, who died young at twenty-seven back in 1685. The slab is broken and its coat of arms has vanished, leaving just the incised Roman script to tell his story. It’s a bit sad that the family crest got lost, but the words remain.

Explorer Tom Killaghtee Old Church Graveyard sits beside the old church; inside the graveyard, southwest of that church, the survey records a cross-inscribed slab. The Civil Survey called the church 'in reparation', and it remained in use until 1826. I like how one small mapped area holds separate records for the graveyard, church and stone.

Explorer Tom European Beech in County Donegal is just a tree, but a fancy one that thinks it runs the place. It’s probably been there longer than the local council has had a proper meeting. Perfect spot to practise your best tour-guide voice, say 'ahoy' and see if it flinches.

Explorer Tom Tara Hotel in Killybegs is probably where some forgotten hero saved it from a tidal wave nobody else remembers. The Wi-Fi might be slow, but the stories fly faster than a gull on Main Street. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.