Moya Cannon

Explorer Tom Dunfanaghy Presbyterian Church is all about Romanesque style because the minister said so, and who were we to argue? Robert Young designed it after Revd. William Kane insisted on the 'early Irish type.' It’s a bit of a rebel against the pointed Gothic crowd, isn't it?

Explorer Tom Watch tower in Dunfanaghy has a crenellated parapet and two cannon on Patrick's Hill, but its original job is unknown. I picture the little turret playing dress-up as a castle, watching Sheephaven Bay and daring the gulls to salute.

Explorer Tom Arnold's Hotel in County Donegal claims to be fancy, but I bet you the pillows are made of pure gossip. Sleep tight, or don't, it's your call really.

Explorer Tom Whiskey Fly Bar sounds like they're flying whiskey into your mouth at high speed. Brace for impact and don't blink; if you survive, you'll be the life of any party back home.

Explorer Tom Castle in Dunfanaghy is now just a flat rock platform with clay piled on it for a garden. I’m guessing there was something mighty here before the town swallowed it up entirely. It’s basically a ghost of a site hiding under some very modern dirt.

Explorer Tom Children's playground in County Donegal is where I sat with a flask and contemplated the void. Best deep thoughts happen on a bench, trust me. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.

Explorer Tom Kill Old Church Graveyard is roughly 50 by 25 metres, with its church in the northern part. A 1622 report called that church newly rebuilt and well repaired; it remained in use until a new one was built at Ballymore in 1752. I enjoy the change in viewpoint: the same place can be 'newly' repaired in one document and old church on this map.

Explorer Tom Lockheed Hudson bomber 1942 memorial is parked up looking confused about its own history. It flew through the sky, now it’s stuck in Donegal soil, which is a bit ironic if you ask me. Practise your Irish on it, it won’t correct you.

Explorer Tom Killahoey has a beach with a second act: an estuary and broad mud flat at the eastern end. Horn Head is in the audience. I might end up watching the birds instead of the waves, which is exactly the sort of distraction I came for.

Explorer Tom Kill Stone Ringfort sits on a rocky mound where the northern wall has been completely stripped away by modern field boundaries. You're left with just a ruined southern fragment and some faint traces of an outer ring, overgrown and stubbornly trying to hold its shape. It’s a bit of a mess, but there’s something nice about seeing how much landowners can reshape history.

Explorer Tom Local Wildlife presentation at New Lake is beautifully painted by hand, though the paint is peeling like my motivation. The local sheep think it’s a bit pretentious. Practise your Irish on it; it won't correct your grammar.

Explorer Tom Former Doongonaway Enclosure is no longer visible, but it was marked on the 1843 and 1907 OS maps. The site is an elevated knoll of rock about 20m across, with excellent views over Sheephaven Bay to the east. It’s a shame the enclosure itself has disappeared, leaving just the rock and the view.