Old Stone

Explorer Tom House in Donegal is flashing those overhanging eaves like it’s trying to impress you. Built in 1880, so it’s seen some things. Check if the render looks as good on the inside as it does out.

Explorer Tom Tower Bar in Donegal claims to be high up, but I bet it’s just a tall building with bad Wi-Fi. The tower might not even exist; could just be a sign on the roof. Check for pigeons nesting inside.

Explorer Tom Store or warehouse in Donegal, built around 1860, has cast-iron rooflights above several storeys. The record cannot pin down exactly what was made or stored inside. I would draw a question mark in one of those little windows.

Explorer Tom The Coach House in Donegal is probably full of cobwebs and old horse droppings that they call 'rural charm'. The coaches haven’t come by since the last century. Ask if the horses are still around.

Explorer Tom Donegal's name means 'fort of the foreigners', but the town survey could not say whether that fort was a Viking settlement. Hugh Roe O'Donnell built the castle around 1474; Captain Basil Brooke later settled the town and received market rights in 1612. Two better-dated chapters sit beside an older unanswered name.

Explorer Tom Donegal Castle is sitting there looking all dignified while the River Eske does its own thing nearby. It’s got history oozing out of every crack, or so they say. Go now, before it gets famous and starts charging you for the privilege of staring at it.

Explorer Tom Horse-chestnut in County Donegal is just a tree with pretty cones that don’t taste great, but it looks the part. It’s standing there looking dignified while the wind tries to knock it over. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap, tell them it grew from a fairy’s hat.

Explorer Tom Donegal Railway Heritage Centre keeps the county's railway stories in an old station house, including the 1907 Drumboe engine and an interactive cab. I would begin with the engine, then try the cab to see what a driver watched. At last, a railway stop where I am allowed to stay awhile.

Explorer Tom Donegal Friary Graveyard sits amid a place whose history changed violently in 1601, when an explosion and fire damaged the friary during a siege. The survey says later burial use raised the ground by as much as 1.75 metres. I had to read that twice: the height records generations of burial, not a building foundation.

Explorer Tom The Siege of Donegal is proud that it lasted long enough for everyone to run out of tea. It’s a very specific point of pride, but valid. Bring a flask and pretend you own the whole place, because technically, you do if you hold the cup.

Explorer Tom Drumrooske East Ringfort is a large circular area with a substantial earthen bank up to two metres high, deliberately taller on the west side. The interior has been disturbed recently, with straw rick foundations cut into the northwest bank. It sits on a drumlin summit overlooking Donegal Bay, with boggy valleys around it.

Explorer Tom Another Wych Elm in Donegal, because apparently we can't have enough silent judges in our lives. This one seems particularly smug about being ancient and slightly damp. Tell it a joke, it's been a long time since anyone did.