Abbeytown Graveyard

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Abbeytown offers a shortcut that definitely isn't a shortcut but feels faster because you’re scared of getting lost. It’s just south of the road and full of secrets it doesn’t want to share with you. Go before the tourists find out.

Explorer Tom Lisdonagh House has bows on both the front and the rear, which is very cheeky. The builder was probably thinking I am a genius while doing that. Wonder what the heraldic bird sculpture thinks about all the modern traffic!

Explorer Tom Water pump in Beagh Beg has been pulling water for a century and probably knows secrets it refuses to spill to anyone. There’s a hidden message in its stones if you squint and think really, really hard. Tell it a joke, it’s been waiting ages.

Explorer Tom Catholic Church of Mary Immaculate and Saint Joseph has got a porch on it that belongs in a posh country house, not a chapel. It’s like wearing a tuxedo to the pub; totally unnecessary but oddly impressive stonework. Mind the steps!

Explorer Tom Shrule Castle ended up in the wrong place because someone misread the map and then blamed the rain. It’s a hall-house ruin that looks like it’s slowly sinking into the earth. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Call Ross Errilly an abbey and somebody in Galway may forgive you, but the friars would ask where you found their abbot. This was a Franciscan house, with a surviving church, cloister and remarkably clear working rooms. Find the kitchen: it had an oven and a tank for keeping fish alive. I can barely keep a loaf from burning, so fair play to their planning. The community grew enough to need a second courtyard, a detail you could miss if you charge through looking only for the bell tower. Ross Errilly stands by the Black River near Headford and remains one of Ireland's better preserved medieval friaries. Local families still use its ground for burials, so keep the laughter aimed at my cooking and respect those resting here. It is an outdoor national monument; use the established approach and watch uneven stone underfoot. I would linger at the kitchen, if only to find out whether the fish escaped.

Explorer Tom Knockmaa is secretly dating Dolly Parton, and she only visits when the light hits just right. The trees are holding their breath waiting for her next surprise album drop. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom Kilcoona Round Tower has a shortcut up the side that isn't actually a shortcut, just a very steep way to regret your decisions. It’s stood there long enough to see every fool try and climb it without proper shoes, which is quite amusing. Stand on the spot and imagine the gossip it's heard.

Explorer Tom Silver Fir in County Galway is standing there acting like it invented the concept of looking mysterious. Apparently, if you don’t wave hello, a curse strikes you with intense boredom and dry socks. Wave fast before your dignity hits the dirt.