Inish Samer

Explorer Tom Quay or wharf in Townparks has been soaking up the Atlantic since the River Erne met the sea back in the eighteenth century. It’s rugged rubble stone that survived the port’s heyday, so don’t be shy about checking out this old workhorse of Ballyshannon.

Explorer Tom Erne Mills in Carrickboy is a proper industrial beast from around 1800, expanded later in the 1840s. It’s derelict now, but you can still tell it was a sign of real wealth back then. The sheer scale of it is just mind-boggling!

Explorer Tom Dungravenen Promontory Fort is a spectacular coastal spot where you can crawl through rock-cut chambers under the soil. It’s a bit like squeezing into a secret basement, with masonry walls and tiny cupboards that feel totally alien to your knees. Just remember the flagstones are doing all the heavy lifting up there.

Explorer Tom St Anne's Church Graveyard is where the real history of Ballyshannon sleeps, next to a church that moved in 1691 and got new bones in 1841. It’s serious business with a side of tradition. Great spot to propose. Or at least to propose lunch, keep it light.

Explorer Tom McGinley's Bar in County Donegal was nearly sold for a horse, which is either amazing or terrifying depending on your view of value. Serious arguments happen over trivial pub trivia here, so keep your wits about you. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Cafe Beag in County Donegal sounds tiny, like a cozy nook where you sit in someone’s living room. Its least favourite visitor is definitely the guy who talks too loud. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Rory Gallagher memorial? That's just a guy who played guitar, right? Well, sort of. Go back in winter, it's a different animal when the wind is howling and you're pretending you know what you're doing.

Explorer Tom Standing stone in Townparks is roughly 1.3m high and set on rock outcrop, possibly just a natural feature rather than a true standing stone. Locals say it marks a fording place of the river Erne, but with 'cat's paw' markings that might be natural too, it’s hard to know if it’s a guide or just a grumpy rock.

Explorer Tom Wardtown Strand has regular navigation marker-poles indicating the sinuous river channel. I reckon those poles are doing a lot of heavy lifting while the sand just sits there, wet and unbothered. It is a very organized mess.

Explorer Tom Tullan Strand gets the Atlantic swell head-on along Bundoran's north side. Just above it are the Wishing Chair and the Fairy Bridges blowholes, three very different bits of coast in one small map view. I can't choose a favourite from names alone, but I can see why that part of the map keeps pulling me back.