Clonca Ecclesiastical Enclosure

Explorer Tom Clonca Second High Cross is currently a bit of a puzzle, lying on the ground next to its original socket hole. The arm fragment hiding inside the old church completes the picture, revealing intricate triquetras and C-curves. It’s not standing tall right now, but the geometric details are undeniably sharp.

Explorer Tom Clonca High Cross is a visual feast of interlace and weird zoomorphic beasts, including two lions digging a grave for St Paul. It’s a restored slab with some concrete help, but the carvings are still packed with narrative power. Just don’t let the restoration fool you; that stone has seen centuries of weather.

Explorer Tom Clonca Old Church is a proper 17th-century survivor, still standing tall after serving until 1827. It’s built from the bones of an even older church, so those punch-dressed stones aren’t just decoration; they’re archaeological archaeology. Stand back and let the quiet ruin sink in.

Explorer Tom Gleneely Bridge is an 1800s work of art, spanning the river with four elegant arches and a dry fifth. It’s part of a family of local bridges, all built from sturdy rubble stone. Stand back and appreciate how gracefully it handles the landscape.

Explorer Tom McGrory’s in Culdaff looks like it’s been standing there since the last glacial period on Malin Road. Check if the heating works before you commit to staying the night, trust me on this one. Give it a pat on the way past, it's had a long life.

Explorer Tom McGuinness’ in Culdaff Main Street probably has a sign that says 'No Dogs Except This One,' showing clear favoritism. I bet the owner knows every dog in the village by name and will scold yours for being bad manners. Bring wellies and low expectations, leave delighted.

Explorer Tom Culdaff Beach looks as if three pieces of the map agreed to meet for tea: dunes to the west, two rock outcrops to the southeast, and the Culdaff River to the northwest. The sand has quite a supporting cast. This protected coast deserves a gentle visit.

Explorer Tom Castle in Carthage may survive only as shapeless stone mounds on a promontory. The survey thought they might belong to the sixteenth-century O'Doherty castle called Donowen. A wall closed the landward side, while another guarded a sea approach. Those defences are recorded; the exact shape of the lost castle is not.

Explorer Tom Visit Carndonagh in County Donegal is where the builder was really thinking, 'I’ll just put this here and hope nobody notices how random it looks.' It’s a little sign that seems to have wandered in from a different century and got stuck there, looking confused. It’s charming in a clumsy way, like a dog trying to fetch a ball it can’t reach. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom Follow the growers on Barrack Hill and you will find sixteen raised beds and three polytunnels. One starts the seedlings; the other two keep things growing. I could claim to know their secret for a good tomato, but the gardeners would catch me bluffing before I got through the gate. These are working plots, so ask the committee before going in.

Explorer Tom At Barrack Hill, little legs get the climbing frames, swings, balance beams and monkey bars. The roundabout was designed to include more children, and older ones have their own obstacle trail nearby. If I were seven, I would call the monkey bars a test of courage. If I were a parent, I would be looking for the covered shelter. Carndonagh's park committee says local families helped shape the refurbished playground, and the older children's activity area reopened in 2023.

Explorer Tom Carndonagh Early Church Graveyard makes me slow the map down: it surrounds an eighteenth-century church thought to stand where an earlier church stood. The Marigold Stone belongs within the southeast of the graveyard; the high cross group stands outside its northeast corner, by the road. Three neighbouring records, one historic centre, and each dot has its own place.