Minky Hill

Explorer Tom Children's playground has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a children's playground with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Castruse House hides a secret skeleton under its plaster. Local records say it was built in 1792 incorporating parts of an earlier house by the same family. I picture the old gable peeking out like a shy ghost, wondering if it still remembers who lived inside.

Explorer Tom St. Eugene's Cathedral has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a church with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Battle of the Bogside has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a major battlefield with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Double Bastion has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a viewpoint with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Derry Gaol has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a monument with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Apprentice Boys of Derry and Siege Museum has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a museum with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Grianán of Aileach has two roofed passages within its thick circular wall. Both curve toward the entrance and stop short. If you thought the fort was just one big ring of stone, the builders had another plan.

Explorer Tom Grianán of Aileach Outer Hillfort has a surprise outside the stone fort: three worn earthen rings may belong to a much older hillfort, perhaps from the Late Bronze or Iron Age. I came for one ancient place and found several piled into one hill! The long account below even traces an old road, a cairn and a holy well.

Explorer Tom Greenan Mountain is a peak in County Donegal with no recorded access details. The picture looks north towards Inch Island, which makes me think the mountain is just using it as a background for its own very serious portrait.

Explorer Tom Church Bastion has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a viewpoint with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.

Explorer Tom Diamond War Memorial has caught my eye in County Derry. I bet a memorial with a name like that could keep me talking all afternoon; I'm already inventing a daft little scene for it, and I'll stop before it turns into history.