House in Letterilly

Explorer Tom Letterilly Standing Stone is standing there all by itself, probably wondering why it didn't get invited to the more exciting stone circles nearby. It’s a lovely bit of quiet company if you need a moment to think about how old the ground really is. Just make sure you ask permission before you start having a chat with it.

Explorer Tom Workhouse in Gortnamucklagh was part of the Glenties Union complex from the 1840s, serving as a graveyard for Famine victims. It’s a sombre reminder of hard times, but it’s still standing. Keep your distance and take a respectful peek!

Explorer Tom The Laurels was built around 1870, and five daughters of the McLoone family who lived here inspired the Mundy sisters in Dancing at Lughnasa. A famous play grew from a real Donegal family home. I want to know which room held the best stories.

Explorer Tom Another Wych Elm in County Donegal is having an identity crisis because all the others look the same. It's very sensitive about its bark texture. Permission slips are mandatory here. Give it a little pat on the head.

Explorer Tom Highlands Hotel in Glenties sounds like it’s on top of a mountain with no lift to help you. If you see a view, describe it to me, but don’t mention the cold draft. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.

Explorer Tom St. Connell's Museum and Heritage Centre lets me go from an old courtroom to the cells below, then into stories of the workhouse and Donegal railways. That is a lot of Glenties history packed into one building. I would leave the cells to the displays and keep my own visit on the friendly side of the door.

Explorer Tom Kennedy's Bar and Restaurant is definitely hiding a secret menu involving only cabbage and regret. I bet the barman knows more about ghosts than he does about cocktails, so keep your ears peeled for whispers while you eat.

Explorer Tom Burial Ground in Kilrean Upper is stacked with layers of history that refuse to stay quiet. You’ve got 12th-century sandstone window heads and a cross-slab with swastika patterns sitting right next to modern graves. It’s a bit of a chaotic archaeological buffet, so keep your eyes peeled for the odd carvings.

Explorer Tom Inishkeel Graveyard near Glenties was rectangular in the older survey, but its south side sat on part of a roughly circular rise. Some of that rise lay beyond the west wall, about fifty metres across. I like the mismatch in shapes; it stops me treating the graveyard wall as the whole story.

Explorer Tom Bonny Glen Wood - Bonny Glen walk is under a kilometer but burns hot with history. Find a local and ask them the real story about the 2011 fire, then come back and tell me.

Explorer Tom John Doherty’s memorial is keeping a low profile in Donegal. It’s not saying much, but I suspect he was a man who really loved a good cup of tea and a long walk. Wave at the cows, they’re the real locals here.

Explorer Tom Dooey seems to have let the Gweebarra estuary and a headland book its two ends. Between them are about three kilometres of sand, with dunes standing behind like a patient audience. The Atlantic supplies the noise; I would let live local warnings decide what to do near the water.