House in Leitrim

Explorer Tom Leitrim House was built around 1850 with five bays and two different sash-window patterns. Its outbuildings immediately south carry an 1895 date. I thought the windows would make me lose count; the farm has a second building year waiting just beyond the house.

Explorer Tom Falmore House’s c. 1850 outbuilding is a bit of an architectural poser, sporting a fancy ashlar bellcote like it’s trying too hard. It’s got tooled limestone quoins and red brick surrounds that scream 'expensive, ' even though it’s technically just a coach house. The detailing here is genuinely impressive for what it does.

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 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 Orchard Bar in County Donegal might have apple juice that’s actually fermented cider from ancient trees. I’d bet they keep a secret orchard just for their own private boozy harvest.

Explorer Tom The Bocan Stone Circle in Glackadrumman has shrunk from twelve stones to seven, mostly huddled on the hillside slopes. Legend says earthen urns were found here, but now it’s just a quiet spot with sweeping views over the valley. You can imagine the sheep using those rocks as scratching posts.

Explorer Tom We have a whole view of Crockavishane in County Donegal, and I promise the scenery is as lovely as this cheeky explorer’s imagination suggests.

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 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 McGrory’s in Culdaff looks like it’s been standing there since the last glacial period. Check if the heating works before you commit to staying the night, trust me.

Explorer Tom Cooly Graveyard held an unusual find during a cleanup in 2010: half a millstone near the east wall. The record says it may have served as a headstone; its original mill has not been located either. I love that one stone brings two questions here, but neither possibility is certain.

Explorer Tom Cooley Cross stands proudly in Moville, a silent guardian watching over the winds of County Donegal.