Mullanboy Hill

Explorer Tom Rathdonnell House sits beside a ringfort, which I bet is just a giant stone hat left behind by a very confused giant. The McClintock family built this place around 1734, so maybe the fort was hiding in the garden all along? I imagine it sneezing every time someone steps on those stone paths.

Explorer Tom Bellaned Bridge uses one wide arch and a smaller pointed one over the Lennan River, with two little flood arches beside them. Built around 1790, it seems to have brought a different curve for every occasion. I had to count twice.

Explorer Tom Gregory Hill stands in County Donegal, keeping its access details firmly unknown. The name sounds like a word you’d mumble into your breakfast cereal, yet it sits there as a solid geological fact without offering a single helpful footpath.

Explorer Tom Stackarnagh Abbey Graveyard has a gatepost detail I keep coming back to: a reused window fragment carved with a fish biting the end of a moulding, with a rough unicorn above it. The survey says the stone probably came from the church's ruined south window. I can enjoy the odd pair without inventing what the medieval carver meant.

Explorer Tom Doon Well sits below steps inside a later wall. An 1889 account said two returning priests blessed it and that pilgrims came seeking cures; a 1936 account recorded the prayers said there. The survey also noted mementoes on a nearby sapling and landscaping in 2006. These are records of belief and visits, not proof that its water cures illness.

Explorer Tom Silver Birch in County Donegal is showing off its white skin like a movie star. It's very flaky, literally, and needs permission to shed its leaves without embarrassment. Tell it to keep those peels coming for the birds.

Explorer Tom Doon Rock Fort is a dramatic, naturally defensible mound where the O'Donnells were traditionally inaugurated. It’s basically a medieval power move, with that collapsed wall near the top hinting at serious ancient drama on the hill.

Explorer Tom Battle at Doon Rock, Kilmacrennan in County Donegal is where Sir Cahir O'Doherty finally lost his battle against a rock. Legend says a very confused goat actually ruled this patch for three minutes before getting kicked out. Bring someone who'll believe anything.

Explorer Tom Wilkin's of Church Hill in County Donegal sounds like it's guarded by an angel who demands tips for listening to your problems, which is fair enough. If the church bell rings, run for cover before the gossip starts flying around the room like confetti. Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.

Explorer Tom Tir na Nog sounds like a name invented by someone who had one too many pints. Bet they’ve got a special named after a ghost there. Tell it a joke, it's been a long time since anyone did.

Explorer Tom Battlefield in Ardahee in County Donegal is where history got messy and people stopped talking about it. It’s a field full of old arguments and new grass. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.

Explorer Tom Donegal County Museum tells a long story inside a building that has one of its own: part of Letterkenny's former workhouse. I would give the old stone walls their due, then follow the county displays from prehistory onward. One building can hold far more than one century.