House in Mossyglen

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 Carrowbeg National School's building survey found '1873' carved above the door, with the old schoolyard wall and toilet block behind it. The same survey recorded the school building as a house. Even the back yard kept its homework.

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, which makes it basically a committee of one. I saw a toucan on the wall, but the car park was empty and quiet. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

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 / Northburgh Castle was built by the Red Earl in 1305 to guard the shore, and it’s still standing tall on its rocky perch. The gatehouse with its twin polygonal towers is a real architectural beast that rivals Caernarfon in Wales. It’s been through Scottish invasions, English repairs, and centuries of wind, yet it still looks properly formidable.

Explorer Tom Cliffs, Inishowen Head are where a priest once lost a bet and had to walk home in the rain, which explains his permanent grumpiness for centuries. The rock face looks down on us all, judging our fashion choices from up there with zero mercy. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.

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 Cave is incredibly proud of its natural door, which it thinks is far more elegant than any human-made entrance could ever be. It stands there flexing its arch like a bodybuilder showing off his biceps at a beach party, demanding admiration from the sea. Pop by and tell it it’s looking well, because it’ll believe you.

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.”