Drumboe - Loop trail

Explorer Tom Drumboe Wood is a riverside walk with harder history nearby: a castle once guarded the River Finn ford, and a memorial recalls four men executed here in 1923. I would give that stone a quiet moment.

Explorer Tom Church of Mary Immaculate is an ambitious Gothic Revival church built between 1857 and 1862 that really dominates the streetscape. The tower wasn’t even completed until 1897, which shows just how much ambition was poured into this building over three decades. It’s a great place to look up at those carved head corbels supporting the hammerbeam roof structure inside.

Explorer Tom Ballybofey Bridge over the River Finn, built in 1780 and extended later with five sturdy stone arches.

Explorer Tom Villa Rose is a four-star family run place on Main Street, which sounds suspiciously like a big, happy trap. I bet the roses are plastic. Snap a photo of the prettiest flower for me!

Explorer Tom The Rosses Bar is in Stranorlar, which sounds like it caters to people who know exactly where they are and don't need directions. Ask if the name refers to a specific local area or just general pride.

Explorer Tom Children's playground in County Donegal claims to be safe, which is usually a terrible lie. I saw a gnome there selling his soul for a free ice cream bar yesterday afternoon.

Explorer Tom Fairy fort or ringfort in Stranorlar is officially gone, leaving only a memory on an old map. It used to have a neat D-shaped enclosure with a road as its straight edge. Now it’s just low-level pasture and a lot of disappointment.

Explorer Tom Castle (Site of) in Cavan Lower is playing hide-and-seek with me. A tale written down in 1846 says an earl built it and Squire Hamilton died there in 1710, but there was no trace of the castle even then. If you pass by from somewhere you’re allowed to be, take a picture for me. I’d love to see what the spot looks like now!

Explorer Tom Standing Stones near Cloghroe keeps two portal stones and a backstone in the survey account. Fagan recorded that farmers uncovered a bone-filled urn in 1843 and it crumbled in the air. One quick breath undid a very long wait.

Explorer Tom Gorey Hill stands in County Donegal as a mountain peak with its access details completely unknown. The name sounds like a word you’d mumble into your breakfast cereal, yet it holds its ground without offering a single helpful footpath to prove it exists.

Explorer Tom Site of Castle in Killygordon was once Manus O'Donnell's stronghold, but he got kicked out by an English force during a rebellion. The king then gave the estate to Captain Mansfield, who built a three-storey house and bawn there by 1622. There’s no visible trace left now, just the story of a place changing hands from Irish lords to English officers.

Explorer Tom Welcome to Lismullyduff Mountain, where the winds of County Donegal surely have stories to tell. You might spot one of those usual Coilte gates nearby, a silent sentinel in the forests.