House in Carrowmore

Explorer Tom Outbuilding in Carrowmore is a rare c. 1800 survivor with a proper thatched roof held down by rope stays. It’s a single-cell beauty with whitewashed rubble walls, standing right on the road in Effishmore. Finding a thatched outbuilding this intact is like striking gold.

Explorer Tom On the other side of the road sits the *Stone Crosses* known as the South Cross, which is a real showstopper with its west face carved with Christ flanked by angels. It’s a 2.8m tall masterpiece from an early Christian enclosure, so try not to get too distracted by the fact that it’s standing right next to a modern school.

Explorer Tom Carrowmore Ecclesiastical Enclosure has a hidden double ditch revealed by magnetometry, plus a flat boulder that might have been a cross base. It’s an early monastery where the ground is basically screaming about its past under your feet.

Explorer Tom Farm house in Oort has been soaking up that Irish sun since c. 1890, and it knows exactly what it’s doing. The windows are all jammed to the south side, like a cheeky kid begging for a warm spot by the fire.

Explorer Tom Orchard Bar in County Donegal has an unlikely celebrity friend who only visits when the cider is fresh. I’d bet they keep a secret orchard just for their own private boozy harvest. Wave at the cows, they're the real locals.

Explorer Tom Simpson's Bar & Restaurant in Carndonagh has a fairy dispute over parking rights that’s getting silly. Grab a drink before they realize you're actually lost and not just exploring. Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous.

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 Barrack Hill gives Carndonagh more than a bench and a patch of grass. Follow the paths past the playground and up towards the metal heads watching the town. The community gardens have raised beds and polytunnels for people who prefer their adventures with a trowel. Local volunteers help keep the whole place going, and this hill has enough in it to make a quick lap turn into a proper wander.

Explorer Tom Visit Carndonagh in County Donegal bragged about surviving a storm that only had three waves, but it told the story for hours. Spot the oldest stone and give it a name, preferably one involving a pirate.

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.

Explorer Tom Croaghmore is doing its best impression of being majestic, but we both know it’s just a very large pile of rock pretending to be fancy. Find the wonkiest bit and send it to your group chat immediately.

Explorer Tom Crockavishane in Donegal is having a very fancy lunch experience that costs nothing but your dignity. It’s all about the ambiance of doing absolutely nothing productive. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.