Culdaff Arms

Explorer Tom McGuinness’ in Culdaff Main Street probably has a sign that says 'No Dogs Except This One.' I bet the owner knows every dog in the village by name. Pet the good ones.

Explorer Tom Church in Culdaff is built right on top of a legendary spot said to be St. Buadan’s foundation. Road workers even dug up bones when widening the street nearby, which adds a layer of spooky depth to the whole place. It’s not just a building; it’s a layered history waiting for you to stare at it.

Explorer Tom Saint Buadan's Church (Culdaff) has a tower added later that gives it quite the landmark look. But the real surprise? A sundial from 1820 on the south wall, which is basically a clock for people who lost their sense of time. Very practical.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Culdaff is where road workers actually pulled human bones out of the dirt during widening works. It’s a spooky reminder that St. Buadan’s old church was built right here, and the earth kept its secrets for centuries.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Culdaff is marked as an early ecclesiastical site, supposedly founded by St Buadan, but there’s barely anything left to prove it. Road workers actually found human bones while widening the village road, proving this was once a much bigger burial ground. It’s a quiet spot with a surprisingly gritty history underneath the surface.

Explorer Tom McGrory’s in Culdaff is on Main Street, which means it’s probably where everyone goes when they’re bored of the rain. Grab me a pint and tell me who’s shouting the loudest; that’s usually my mate.

Explorer Tom I suspect this playground is where the local kids plan their secret club meetings and trade shiny pebbles for treasure maps.

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 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 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 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.