Crockangaragoun

Explorer Tom Giant's Grave Megalithic Tomb lies deep in boggy ground between Aghla and Scraigs. The recorded gallery was five metres long, with six stones on each side. A slab across one end might not have been part of its original roof. That uncertainty is more interesting than pretending the wet ground offers an easy look inside.

Explorer Tom Lime kiln in Meentymorgal was built c.1880 with an earth embankment behind it for loading crushed limestone. I reckon that huge pile of dirt was basically a giant slide, but made of mud and rocks, waiting for someone to push a wheelbarrow down it.

Explorer Tom Scraigs is all about the drama, or at least it tries to be. The name sounds like 'crags' but with more attitude and less explanation. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt over this peak’s mystery.

Explorer Tom Stone cairn, Lougherrig is a simple name for what might be one of the oldest quiet spots in County Donegal. There’s no date attached to it, which means it could be as old as time itself or just a very stubborn pile. I’d like to know if it ever gets tired of being a landmark.

Explorer Tom Aghla Mountain is a rocky giant that doesn’t care if you like it or not. The summit is just a pile of rocks and weather opinions, but the view is decent if the clouds cooperate. If it rains, blame me for suggesting this particular hill as a destination.

Explorer Tom Graffy Bridge was built around 1830 with two arches over the Stracashel River and an additional arch to the southwest. Cut-stone triangular cutwaters face the flow. I thought the bridge had finished its sentence after two arches; the third adds a cheeky postscript.

Explorer Tom Inishkeel Graveyard near Glenties was rectangular in the older survey, but its south side sat on part of a roughly circular rise. Some of that rise lay beyond the west wall, about fifty metres across. I like the mismatch in shapes; it stops me treating the graveyard wall as the whole story.

Explorer Tom Gweebarra Bar sits right on a sharp bend in the N56, waiting for someone to lose control of their vehicle. The seagulls outside are already drafting a scathing review of the interior lighting and the beer selection. Bring the dog, it will definitely have strong opinions about the décor.

Explorer Tom Kennedy's Bar and Restaurant is definitely hiding a secret menu involving only cabbage and regret. I bet the barman knows more about ghosts than he does about cocktails, so keep your ears peeled for whispers while you eat.

Explorer Tom St. Connell's Museum and Heritage Centre lets me go from an old courtroom to the cells below, then into stories of the workhouse and Donegal railways. That is a lot of Glenties history packed into one building. I would leave the cells to the displays and keep my own visit on the friendly side of the door.

Explorer Tom Another Wych Elm in County Donegal is having an identity crisis because all the others look the same. It's very sensitive about its bark texture. Permission slips are mandatory here. Give it a little pat on the head.

Explorer Tom Disert Graveyard is a D-shaped pocket inside two larger enclosures, with at least 34 low uninscribed grave markers noted across its centre. The account also records a striking custom: people took soil from near the altar because it was reputed to drive rats from houses. I'd keep that as a belief people held, not a promise from the place.