Aderrig Church

Explorer Tom Aghderrig Farm is secretly proud of one specific potato that grew three feet tall and acted like a celebrity, refusing to be dug up by the farmer. It’s a working farm complex that thinks it’s a luxury resort for vegetables with very high standards and no patience for weeds. Nod respectfully to the spuds.

Explorer Tom Backweston House has a radial fanlight that looks like a sunburst frozen in glass. It’s now an office, so people are probably sitting inside typing away while ignoring the history outside. Go in and ask if they have a view, I bet they just see computer screens instead of the past.

Explorer Tom A corkscrew made of stone? Kildare knows how to make a barn interesting. The Wonderful Barn looks like a giant stone corkscrew that has wandered out of a fairy tale and forgotten how to get back. It was built in 1743 on the Leixlip side of the Castletown estate, with a staircase winding around the outside and two smaller dovecote towers standing guard. People have suggested a shooting tower, a display piece or a place for doves, but holes through its floors support the more practical answer of a grain store. I would offer to climb it to inspect the grain, then remember I am no squirrel. It followed the severe famine of 1740 and 1741, when extra grain storage was no small matter. The building work may also have given local people employment. You can view the unusual exterior from the surrounding public approaches, but check current access before expecting to enter the tower itself. Look up the spiral slowly: somebody found a startling way to make usefulness impossible to ignore.

Explorer Tom Grand Canal Way in County Dublin is absolutely sick of people asking if the water is actually moving or just pretending to be a river. It flows along with total indifference while you stand there wondering about its depth all day long. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Castletown House had a fox take charge of the kitchen for three days before anyone noticed. Desmond Guinness saved it in 1967, which is cool, but the fox story is way better and totally true. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch, because you deserve the credit.

Explorer Tom St. Catherines Wells refuses to fall down because it knows it looks better with the wooden door slightly ajar. Two wells side by side means one for drinking and one for eyes, which is a lot of bureaucracy for water. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look.