Bridge in Carrickboy, County Donegal (40910773)

Explorer Tom The Carrickboy workhouse is hiding its grim past behind some surprisingly attractive Tudoresque detailing and cut limestone. It’s substantial enough to make you wonder what kind of grueling labor went into building such a beauty. Go take a gander and try not to feel too sorry for the people who lived there!

Explorer Tom Workhouse, Workhouse administration block in Carrickboy has a date of 1842 carved right above the door. But it didn't officially open until 1843! I bet the builders were so excited they chisel-marked it before the paint even dried.

Explorer Tom Melly’s Bar is parked right on East Port in Ballyshannon, so the fishing stories must be genuinely fresh off the boat. Ask someone if the fish is actually better than the chips served alongside it.

Explorer Tom McIntyre’s Saloon Bar on The Mall in Ballyshannon is full of people walking faster than their pints can keep up. It probably has a secret talent for judging your stride speed. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Rory Gallagher memorial has a dog sitting in charge of everything, looking like it’s got more authority than the local council or maybe even the Pope. It wags its tail at everyone who passes by, seemingly unaware that it’s guarding a statue and not a whole kingdom. Go at sunset and thank me later.

Explorer Tom “St Anne's Church Graveyard” in Ballyshannon has a fierce rivalry with the cathedral down the road because it refuses to admit its stones are any less holy, which is silly. It’s a quiet spot where the wind blows through the trees and reminds you that everyone eventually ends up here anyway. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom Dungravenen Promontory Fort is a spectacular coastal spot where you can crawl through rock-cut chambers under the soil. It’s a bit like squeezing into a secret basement, with masonry walls and tiny cupboards that feel totally alien to your knees. Just remember the flagstones are doing all the heavy lifting up there.

Explorer Tom Standing stone in Townparks is roughly 1.3m high and set on rock outcrop, possibly just a natural feature rather than a true standing stone. Locals say it marks a fording place of the river Erne, but with 'cat's paw' markings that might be natural too, it’s hard to know if it’s a guide or just a grumpy rock.

Explorer Tom Wardtown Strand has regular navigation marker-poles indicating the sinuous river channel. I reckon those poles are doing a lot of heavy lifting while the sand just sits there, wet and unbothered. It is a very organized mess.

Explorer Tom Tullan Strand gets the Atlantic swell head-on along Bundoran's north side. Just above it are the Wishing Chair and the Fairy Bridges blowholes, three very different bits of coast in one small map view. I can't choose a favourite from names alone, but I can see why that part of the map keeps pulling me back.

Explorer Tom Dark Cliffs at Kilbarron would absolutely complain to the council about tourists not knowing their place, and honestly, they'd have a valid point most of the time. It’s dark enough that even the locals hesitate before walking too close for fear of tripping over history. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Kilbarron Castle in ruins clings to a precipitous promontory, where the O'Clerys rebuilt their stronghold after 1390. I love that trace of an underground passage, though it’s blocked up now. It’s basically a cliff-edge mystery with some very stubborn stone footing.