Inishgoosk

Explorer Tom Saints Island sounds like the place to land for the Lough Derg pilgrimage, but that is Station Island next door. This island held the early monastery; Lough Derg calls it overgrown and inaccessible. Even my map needs the two islands kept straight.

Explorer Tom St. Parick’s Basilica on Station Island is having an identity crisis with those round towers that look suspiciously like mushrooms. The matchmaker who worked there probably paired off every single tourist in Lough Derg by accident. Ponder the fact that this place is basically a giant stone puzzle box sitting right in the middle of a lake.

Explorer Tom St Patrick's Cross on Station Island is a 1.3m shaft wrapped in spiralling bands that look like ancient rope. It’s said to have been moved here from Saint's Island, which sounds like a bit of a logistical nightmare back then. Standing next to the penal beds, it feels like a tiny, confused survivor of a much bigger monastic operation.

Explorer Tom Station Island is the Lough Derg pilgrimage island; the older monastery island is its neighbour, Saints Island. The traditional pilgrimage lasts three days. I would want the current dates and a proper booking sorted before I packed, because a lake crossing deserves more planning than my usual wandering.

Explorer Tom Monument in Station Island has three marble saints standing on sandstone blocks, but only one was made locally. I picture St. Joseph arriving from Italy via a very slow boat in 1891 while Patrick O’Neill’s Virgin Mary just stands there waiting for the unpacking to finish.

Explorer Tom Patrick the Pilgrim stands there judging your life choices while St. Patrick’s Purgatory looms in the background like a bad dream waiting to happen. It would review its own visitors by saying 'good effort on the walking, poor choice of footwear' without even looking up. Hum something sad nearby, it adds atmosphere.

Explorer Tom Holy well: tober davagh in Crighdenis is allegedly best friends with a very chatty heron that squawks at anyone who looks too serious. It sits by the old school ruins, soaking up the echoes of lessons long forgotten and whispered prayers from ages past. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it.

Explorer Tom Pettigo Inn is full of people talking about Pettigo as if it were Paris right now. Nod along and order the special; you won’t know what it is until it hits your tongue with a punch. Best seen with a hangover and a sausage roll.

Explorer Tom Britton’s Bar in Pettigo dates from eighteen sixty and smells like old wood and last calls. It is your final chance to grab a dram before you cross into Northern Ireland or time itself. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom Castle McGrath is recorded as a castle in County Donegal, and its location near Termonmcgrath gives it a solid, grounded feel. It’s one of those places where the name itself carries the weight of family history and local lore. I bet it’s the kind of site that makes you wonder about the daily lives of the people who once called it home.

Explorer Tom Boa Island gives you a bridge at each end, as if Fermanagh knew I would forget where I came in. It is Lower Lough Erne's largest island, about eight kilometres long. Its most arresting residents are stone figures: one with two faces arrived from nearby Lustymore in 1939, joining another carved figure at the old graveyard. Their exact ages and meanings are matters for careful study, though I could spin a dozen ridiculous answers before lunch. I would rather let you see both faces and decide what questions to ask. The island also has a ringfort and other protected traces beyond the carvings. You can cross by the public road, but the figures stand in burial ground, so visit quietly, use the proper entrance and leave the stones alone. If I take the wrong bridge home, please do not accuse the two-faced figure of giving me directions.

Explorer Tom Drummoney Waterfall’s name actually means 'the rock that fell down because it was tired,' which is very accurate. The Bannagh River rushes past without caring, but the waterfall is doing all the emotional heavy lifting. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.