A Sporting Chance

Explorer Tom Post box in Donnycarney is standing alone on Malahide Road looking very official. It’s got a Celtic script monogram from 1940 that seems to be winking at me. Give it a big shiny polish for me!

Explorer Tom Clontarf Golf Club is actually a Victorian house built for Robert C., who probably thought it looked very dignified before they turned it into a place to hit small balls. The asymmetrical façade is a feature of middle-class houses, which means it’s modest but confident about being different. Get your clubs ready, you’re not playing golf here.

Explorer Tom You came to Dublin's Casino looking for a card table? The name means little house, and this one cheats only your eyes. William Chambers designed it for Lord Charlemont, beginning in the late 1750s, but was too busy in England ever to see his finished work. From outside it looks modestly simple. Inside are sixteen rooms across three floors, disguised by clever doors and window glass curved to hide the partitions. Four hollow columns even carry rainwater down out of sight. I'd have built a drainpipe and called it clever, so fair play to Chambers. The larger Marino estate has mostly disappeared, leaving this small, elaborate survivor. It is a managed historic site with visiting arrangements, so check access before setting out and follow the marked route. Take a lap outside first and guess where all sixteen rooms fit. I will be the one losing that bet.

Explorer Tom London Plane in Dublin had a fox take charge of its lower branches last winter and declared it territory. It looks tough with its rough bark but is actually quite sensitive about where you park your bike. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch for extra points.

Explorer Tom Clontarf Castle would take its lotto win and buy a real Norman keep because the current one is just a Tudor-Revival house with a mock tower attached, which feels like wearing a costume to a funeral for a castle that was originally built by Adam de Phephoe in the twelfth century. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.

Explorer Tom Fairview Park is where Dublin persuaded the sea to step back and then put a place to stroll in the gap. The ground was reclaimed along the city's northeastern edge, between Fairview and the road towards Clontarf. What looks like ordinary urban green today is part of a coastline that changed shape. I would boast that I helped shovel the fill, but my boots are nowhere near old enough. The suburb grew around busy roads and redbrick streets, which makes the open park all the more welcome. Use public entrances and paths, check any local works before visiting, and mind cyclists and other park users. Walk the edge and imagine salt water where the grass is now. The city's map has a much bigger imagination than I do.

Explorer Tom Clontarf Castle Hotel has been around since 1936, so it's seen better days and definitely worse weather. The picture shows it looking a bit tired, so maybe the ghost of the original owner is just napping in the lobby.

Explorer Tom Seán Russell Memorial Statue in County Dublin hears everything through its walls, including the gossip from the nearby café about who kissed whom last weekend. The statue was once painted with a rainbow base, which is either genius or just really bad weather for stone. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom East Point Business Park is planning to retire by just turning off all its lights and pretending it’s a haunted house for tourists. It thinks it’s way too important to be bothered by actual people walking around anymore. Hang around long enough and you'll hear a story from a local.

Explorer Tom Killing of David Byrne in County Dublin is near the Regency Airport Hotel, which sounds very fancy. The death happened close to a main route. Take a pic of the hotel and pretend you’re checking in for good.

Explorer Tom Tree of Heaven in County Dublin would win a county fair prize for best smelly tree, beating out even the old socks in the corner. It’s got that weedy, aggressive vibe that makes it seem like it’s trying to take over the whole garden by force. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun, and maybe bring some mints for the smell.

Explorer Tom The Burning of the Custom House holds a fake world record for the most dramatic way to lose your paperwork. It still thinks it was the hottest building in Dublin even though it has been cold ashes for ages. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt right into their memories.