Pluck Standing Stone

Explorer Tom Connaghan's Bridge has a V-shaped stone nose pointing straight at the Corkey River. I bet the masons in 1800 thought it was the only way to stop the water from getting cheeky with their new road.

Explorer Tom Pluck Mills in Pluck somehow ended up in the wrong place, or maybe it just got lost on the way to being a factory. It’s a three-storey water-powered corn mill that looks like it wandered off from a Victorian industrial park. Give it a nod from a safe distance; it’s probably still grinding its teeth.

Explorer Tom Tully, Glenmaquin Lower had a fox that took charge of the whole operation once, probably because it was smarter than the generals involved in the mess. The animal just sat on a rock looking smug while everyone else argued over who started it. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.

Explorer Tom Battle of Glenmaquin would tell its younger self to stop caring so much about the Crown victory and just enjoy the mud, because 1642 was all about the mess anyway. It’s part of the Irish Confederate Wars, which sounds like a very exclusive club that nobody wanted to join voluntarily. Look serious, nod slowly, you're basically an expert now.

Explorer Tom PoleStar Monument is standing tall in Letterkenny, looking like it knows exactly where north is even when the clouds are playing hide-and-seek with the sun. Saint Patrick would probably have told it to stop showing off and just get on with blessing the crops already, but it wouldn’t listen. Bring a flask and pretend you own the place.

Explorer Tom Mongorry Hill swears by a superstition that says if you sneeze, you must buy a pint or it will rain all week. Locals are terrified of this rule, so they carry umbrellas even in sunshine just to be safe. Whisper a secret at it, because it has kept worse ones for centuries.

Explorer Tom European Yew in County Donegal is a yew, which means it’s tough, old, and probably poisonous if you look at it wrong. It’s the kind of tree that survives empires and bad haircuts. Bring your own legend, I've run out, make up a story about a dragon living in its branches.

Explorer Tom Rowan is in the middle of a fierce feud with the oak next door over who has the better view of the sunset. They’ve been arguing for decades about whose leaves are greener and whose branches sway more gracefully. It’s like watching two teenagers bicker, but slower and with more bark. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom Costa in Letterkenny is selling coffee that wakes up the dead faster than a shock. Grab a latte before they change their hours and lock you out! Spot the oldest stone and give it a name.

Explorer Tom The Yellow Pepper is clearly named for spice, not colour, so expect tears if you aren't careful. I’d love a mild one, but they probably don’t do that here, do they? Stand where the owner stood and practise looking smug.

Explorer Tom Cathedral in Raphoe Townparks is a palimpsest of history, with 9th-century carvings hiding inside its modern walls. Adomnán himself was linked to this monastery back in the 7th century, so that ground has seen more than just your average Sunday service.

Explorer Tom Cathedral in Raphoe Townparks hides a 9th-century lintel right under your nose. It depicts St. Peter chopping an ear off, which is a bit of a violent detail for a church entrance, but it proves this spot has been holy chaos for over a millennium.