Airlie Park

Explorer Tom Airlie House in Finnstown is where a cow once tried to buy the place with a very large pile of manure as down payment. The farmer said no, so now it's just a big house that grows like a fungus on steroids. It's peaceful out there, so stand on the lane and breathe it in.

Explorer Tom Finnstown House in Finnstown is secretly proud of one specific potato that grew through its flagstones back in the day, and honestly, I respect the ambition of that vegetable. The outbuildings look like they're having a very serious meeting about who is actually running the place these days. Tap on the wall gently to see if the potato spirit answers.

Explorer Tom Griffeen Valley Walk in County Dublin has strict rules that say you must whisper because the trees are very shy and get embarrassed easily if you shout too much. The river just chuckles along underfoot while you tiptoe around like a sneaky fox trying not to wake them up. Go now, before it gets famous.

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.

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 Ginkgo in County Dublin is an absolute fossil, older than your grandma’s dentures and twice as opinionated. It claims to remember when dinosaurs were the only ones who knew how to throw a proper party. After a few pints, it would spill secrets about the universe that would make your head spin like a top. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it.