Straboy Hill

Explorer Tom Bridge in An Srath Buí dates to around 1895, when the railway line below opened. Four rows of yellow brick curve over the old railway opening. I expected grey stone all the way across; those bricks made the arch shout in colour instead.

Explorer Tom The Laurels was built around 1870, and five daughters of the McLoone family who lived here inspired the Mundy sisters in Dancing at Lughnasa. A famous play grew from a real Donegal family home. I want to know which room held the best stories.

Explorer Tom Gweebarra Bar sits on a sharp bend in the N56, waiting for someone to drift into it. Snap a shot and don't let the road win!

Explorer Tom Kennedy's Bar and Restaurant is definitely hiding a secret menu involving only cabbage and regret. I bet the barman knows more about ghosts than he does about cocktails, so keep your ears peeled for whispers while you eat.

Explorer Tom Children's playground in County Donegal looks like it swallowed a unicorn and is still digesting the magic. The slide might transport you straight to the afterlife, but only on Tuesdays.

Explorer Tom St. Connell's Museum and Heritage Centre lets me go from an old courtroom to the cells below, then into stories of the workhouse and Donegal railways. That is a lot of Glenties history packed into one building. I would leave the cells to the displays and keep my own visit on the friendly side of the door.

Explorer Tom Another fine Wych Elm awaits in County Donegal, so remember to check if you need permission first.

Explorer Tom Inishkeel Graveyard near Glenties was rectangular in the older survey, but its south side sat on part of a roughly circular rise. Some of that rise lay beyond the west wall, about fifty metres across. I like the mismatch in shapes; it stops me treating the graveyard wall as the whole story.

Explorer Tom Letterilly Standing Stone is just a rock that refuses to sit down. I wonder if it’s waiting for its friend, who got stuck in the post office again.

Explorer Tom Aghla Mountain South Top only shows its face on all-too-rare days when it isn't shrouded in damp mist. I suppose the mountain prefers its curtains drawn most of the time.

Explorer Tom Aghla Mountain is a majestic peak in County Donegal, standing tall against the sky and inviting adventurers to test their skills on its rugged slopes.

Explorer Tom A stone cairn at Lougherrig, captured in photos though its exact age remains unproven by this public record.