Crockduff

Explorer Tom Rose Cottage, built around 1855, is standing right where a whole little village used to be before it just vanished off the maps. I reckon the thatch roof is keeping an eye out for those missing neighbors, hoping they pop back in wearing their oldest clothes.

Explorer Tom Kinnagoe Bay has an impressive sense of timing. La Trinidad Valencera went down here in 1588, and the wreck waited until 1971 to be found. Nearly four centuries of suspense is rude, frankly. The cove sits below steep slopes, reached by a narrow road with a hairpin bend.

Explorer Tom Outbuilding in Ballymagaraghy has a rounded straw thatched roof built around 1780. It looks like a big, soft cushion specifically made for the Inishowen wind to punch into without getting angry. I bet it giggles every time a gust bounces off its curves.

Explorer Tom Tremone Bay has been keeping an icy secret in its rocks. Geological Survey Ireland records debris dropped by ancient ice in the bedrock at White Strand’s northwest end, roughly 590 to 570 million years old. I cannot blame the beach for looking smug; most places would brag about a history half that long.

Explorer Tom Crockaulin offers a lonely triangulation pillar that stares down at Greencastle from a dizzying height. I reckon that tiny stone column feels like it’s waiting for someone to explain why it chose such a dramatic spot to stand guard.

Explorer Tom Michael John’s Pub has two first names, so it’s basically a committee. Ask Michael who John is. He’ll probably say he’s his brother. Suspicious.

Explorer Tom Inishowen Head’s cliffs guard the edge of the world, but remember that a public photo doesn’t mean free entry.

Explorer Tom Former site of Knockergrana Court Tomb was blasted apart with dynamite in the early 1900s, leaving only a few slabs and boreholes as evidence. It’s a bit messy now, but if you look closely at those broken stones, you can almost feel the tenant’s frustration trying to clear it.

Explorer Tom Port a Dorais features a natural rock arch door under Inishowen Head, about one and a half kilometres from Stroove beach.

Explorer Tom Greencastle was built in 1305 to hold down the North West. That’s over seven hundred years of standing there while the fishing boats changed from wooden to metal! I bet it’s still listening for the clank of old swords.

Explorer Tom Greencastle Martello Fort was built to stop Napoleon from wading in. I can’t help but imagine him slipping on a wet rock and sliding all the way down to Derry with his hat flying off.

Explorer Tom Dunagree Point carries the twin granite towers of Inishowen Lighthouse. The lighthouse account says its rear tower was raised by 7.6 metres to improve visibility on Lough Foyle. I can almost hear the headland saying, “I stayed put while the tower did the stretching.”