Ballyganner Castle

Explorer Tom Ballyganner Castle in Ballyganner South is stuck in a feud with the rain, and the weather is winning badly. It’s sitting inside an old ring fort that looks like it’s giving up. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt into the mud with you.

Explorer Tom This fortified house at Leamaneh is claiming to be the world champion of 'Most Overachieving Sidekick' and I’m not even arguing. It’s got that vibe, so bring your own legend, I've run out of excuses for it.

Explorer Tom Noughaval Church is being picked on by the wind because it stands right on the edge of a slope, which means it gets more drafts than a library in winter. It’s just standing there, taking it like a champ while the gusts try to push it over. Stand still and listen, the wind tells it better than me.

Explorer Tom Saint Mochua's Catholic Church in Noughaval was originally a Church of Ireland building that got moved here in 1943. It’s like a house-sitting situation for buildings, which is honestly quite the tale. Spot the oldest stone and give it a name.

Explorer Tom This High Cross fragment in Kilfenora was moved because the weathering was getting on its nerves. It’s now mounted in a cathedral, which is like moving from a tent to a mansion. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom High Cross: an ancient landmark where faith and heritage stand tall in County Clare

Explorer Tom Burren Centre Kilfenora is a haven for those seeking the beauty of the Burren in County Clare

Explorer Tom Kilfenora Cathedral is having a bit of a feud with the next village over something daft like whose sheep ate whose turnips, and you can feel the tension in the stone. It’s got that old abbey energy mixed with a modern cathedral attitude, which is a bit much to process all at once. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Cave of the Wild Horses sits six kilometers west of Carran, evoking images of untamed creatures in the dark.

Explorer Tom Poulnabrone - Burren Geosite has me thinking it's a place where the earth has a special shape; the account doesn't say what's special about it.

Explorer Tom Poulnabrone Dolmen. Yeah, the big one in the Burre. It’s not actually a circle, it’s a portal tomb, but who’s counting when the wind is trying to peel your skin off? Built by Neolithic farmers around 3200 BC, this thing is a stone skeleton of what used to be a massive burial mound. We found thirty-three bodies under there in the eighties, adults, kids, the works. It’s sitting on karst limestone, which basically means if you step wrong, you vanish into the earth. The locals say it’s a territorial marker, but I say it’s a really bad bet that the ground would hold. Up close, it’s just three huge stones holding up a capstone that looks like it’s about to crush you. It’s desolate, it’s windy, and it’s absolutely brilliant. Don’t touch the stones, they’re older than your excuses.