Crocklaunaght

Explorer Tom Crockfadda has an undefined summit. I love that the highest point on the mountain doesn't actually exist, so you can never technically reach the top. It’s the ultimate cheat for anyone trying to prove they made it.

Explorer Tom Crockfadda North-East Top has a tiny cairn that looks like it was built by a very determined goblin. It’s basically a landlord’s marker for the best view. Pretend it’s yours and plan the housewarming immediately.

Explorer Tom Icehouse in Derrynacarrow is a round stone building set into a hillside, built around 1860. The survey says it was apparently made to store ice for a salmon fishery on the Gweebarra River. Before an electric fridge, this two-cell building had the cold-storage job.

Explorer Tom Teach Pobail Phádraig Naofa [Saint Patrick's Catholic Church] was built around 1935 with green-painted corrugated-iron walls. Its pointed windows and cross finials still say church, even though the wall material looks more like a farm shed. I did not expect that pairing.

Explorer Tom Cairn, Coolvoy, Doochary is a name that sounds like it belongs to a place with a lot of local history and stories. I imagine it’s one of those spots where the ground has been used by people for a very long time, maybe for marking boundaries or gathering. It’s a name that makes you curious about what went on there.

Explorer Tom Cairn, Loughanure is a place where the name suggests a connection to water and perhaps a specific local story. I imagine it’s one of those spots that has been part of the landscape for a long time, maybe used by people who lived nearby. It’s a name that makes you think about how places get their names.

Explorer Tom Errigal Youth Hostel in County Donegal is where dreams go to get squished under mattresses. It's cozy if you define cozy as 'crowded' and 'slightly damp'. Bring a notebook and write the bit I made up for your diary.

Explorer Tom McGeady’s Bar is sitting there looking suspiciously quiet in County Donegal, waiting for someone to ask if they’ve had any ghosts. Order something strong and blame all the damp on them instead, because that’s just how it works sometimes. Go in good boots and better humour.

Explorer Tom Glenveagh National Park is massive and moody, with Lough Veagh staring back at you like it knows all your secrets. The air smells of peat and ancient drama, perfect for feeling small in the face of nature’s indifference. Bring a coin for luck and keep it tightly in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Braade Strand is where the water gets behind you, which is a great metaphor for your student loans. It’s wild, untamed, and probably colder than your ex's heart. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom Carrickfinn brought a beach and then sneaked a meadow in behind it. Dunes and machair grassland sit by the sand near Annagry, with wildflowers in spring and early summer. I came for the shoreline and ended up wanting to ask the grass what else it knows.

Explorer Tom Astelleen Burn Waterfall is a sloping torrent three kilometres from Glenveagh, named after a flood or deluge. Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call, just don’t slip on the wet rocks.