Tulaigh Oileáin

Explorer Tom Water pump in Burtonport, installed c.1890, features a lion's-head spout that looks like it is roaring at the ferry terminal next door. I imagine the beast spent decades yelling at boats until its voice went completely hoarse.

Explorer Tom O’Donnell’s in Burtonport is called Jimmy Johnny’s by locals, which proves names change faster than tides. It would cope on a reality show by gossiping until they drop. Leave nothing but footprints and a bad pun.

Explorer Tom The Lobster Pot in Burtonport is known as Kelly’s, so don't be surprised if they call you by the wrong name. There might even be a hidden tunnel to the pub. Tell the next person you meet it's haunted. It might be.

Explorer Tom Store or warehouse in Burtonport was built around 1850, perhaps using older walls from about 1780. The survey found its four storeys roofless, overlooking Burtonport. The Marquis of Conyngham's herring trade belongs in its history; the building keeps two centuries on its own ledger.

Explorer Tom Inis Mhic an Doirn has that 'don't touch' energy radiating off it like Wi-Fi. There’s a derelict building nearby that looks haunted by bad decisions. Mind the nettles, they're the real guards here and they bite back.

Explorer Tom An tÍochtar is out here looking like it wants a nap, tucked away in County Donegal. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look, because my eyes are starting to cross from squinting.

Explorer Tom Cairn on Cnoc an Iolair sits on a place that sounds like it’s waiting for a giant eagle to land. Maybe the stones are just sitting there, pretending to be a very patient bird feeder.

Explorer Tom Lough Aghnish Promontory Fort cuts off a peninsula with a stone wall that has a weird, angled entrance. The base is solid, but the top looks like modern repairs. It’s a bit of a puzzle why they built it exactly there.

Explorer Tom Croaghnamaddy in County Donegal is basically just a very arrogant hill that thinks it's a mountain. I'd bet my last pint there's a secret bakery up there, so bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Tor an Éidigh is recorded as a headland in County Donegal. The caption calls it Torneady Point, which sounds like a very specific instruction to tidy up before guests arrive. I reckon the headland keeps its own schedule.

Explorer Tom Annagary Hill. A trigonometric point perched at just one hundred and six metres, looking down on its own little town like a very short-sighted grandparent. I reckon the view is mostly rooftops and a bit of sky.

Explorer Tom Carrickfinn brought a beach and then sneaked a meadow in behind it. Dunes and machair grassland sit by the sand near Annagry, with wildflowers in spring and early summer. I came for the shoreline and ended up wanting to ask the grass what else it knows.