Lantern Bar

Explorer Tom Melly’s Bar is parked right on East Port in Ballyshannon, so the fishing stories must be genuinely fresh off the boat. Ask someone if the fish is actually better than the chips served alongside it.

Explorer Tom Post box in Carrickboy was cast by the Carron Company in Stirlingshire around 1935. It has no royal cipher or later Irish badge, and it moved to this crossroads around 2000. A post box with a travelled past, even before anyone posts a letter.

Explorer Tom Ballyshannon Infantry Barracks had its stones moved to build a new bridge, so the old walls are basically wearing a rock costume. I bet the soldiers were annoyed their bricks went for a walk down to the river.

Explorer Tom Allingham Memorial's marble words recall poet William Allingham as a boy along the River Erne. Ballyshannon's townspeople erected it in 1895, then moved it to the present bridge after that bridge was built. The carved harp and shamrock might whisper, 'We have seen two bridges and still know the way home.'

Explorer Tom Castle at Townparks guarded the River Erne ford and got torched in 1522. Red Hugh O’Donnell even stopped here after escaping prison in 1592. It’s all gone now, but you can imagine the fire raining down on the soldiers below.

Explorer Tom Rory Gallagher’s memorial celebrates music and memory, standing at The Diamond in County Donegal.

Explorer Tom Kate's Kitchen sounds like the place where home cooking meets commercial ambition, likely serving up something that tastes better than your mum makes it. Find out what dish Kate is most proud of preparing for customers.

Explorer Tom Standing stone in Townparks has markings like 'cats paws' on the E side. Did a giant cat nap there? I swear I can still smell the tuna.

Explorer Tom St Anne's Church Graveyard in Ballyshannon waited two centuries for its first church to move house. That is an incredibly long commute just to change streets, but I suppose the Erne needed the space.

Explorer Tom Imagine a Children's playground in County Donegal where the puddles reflect the sky so perfectly that children jump into infinite blue spaces.

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 This Castle in ruins used to be a tower-house right on the bank of the River Erne, but now it’s been submerged by the hydro-electric scheme. It’s like a secret underwater puzzle box that you can only imagine from the shore.