Brian Crowley

Explorer Tom James Joyce Pub Award in County Dublin is given for being an authentic Irish pub. Which mostly means they serve cold stew and stare at you. Enjoy the vibe!

Explorer Tom Blackrock Baths in County Dublin are closed, but I suspect they’re still warm from all that steam. The nuns probably hated the cold water. Enjoy the chill factor!

Explorer Tom This Children's playground in County Dublin has a slide that’s actually a riverbed. Fish might jump out if you’re fast enough. I saw one once, but it was probably a hallucination.

Explorer Tom Holy well in Newtown, Blackrock is 'Tobernea,' sitting on a cliff edge next to the railway. It’s a brick vault leading into a passage that probably goes nowhere useful. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Rockfield House gates were allegedly stolen from Rochestown House by a guy named Geoghegan. That’s not recycling, that’s theft with a pedigree. Tell it I know about its potato theft past and I’m not mad.

Explorer Tom Booterstown Marsh in County Dublin was photographed by someone named Albert White back in 2007. That’s quite a while ago, so the reeds might have grown taller since then. Find it and send me a current picture to compare with old times!

Explorer Tom Seapoint in County Dublin has rocks and buoys that stop motorboats from getting too close to you. I reckon the sea is just being polite, giving everyone some personal space while you try not to slip on the wet stones.

Explorer Tom Stillorgan Obelisk in County Dublin stands tall and proud, probably because it thinks it's a finger pointing at the sky, but honestly it just looks like a very serious, very thin concrete pencil waiting for an eraser.

Explorer Tom McCabe's Villas Playground in County Dublin is waving at you from behind a fence. The slides are said to be haunted by a very cheeky clown. If he honks his horn, run as fast as you can!

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Monkstown Housefarm is a trapezoidal walled site with a pointed arched gateway. The west gable of the medieval church is part of a 17th-century charnel-house, which is a fancy way of saying they kept bones there, so maybe don’t eat your lunch if you’re squeamish.

Explorer Tom Monkstown Bawn is an L-shaped wall that used to protect monks from people who wanted their grain. Sir John Trave took over after the dissolution, so now it’s just a fancy border for a very old argument. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it and nod sagely.

Explorer Tom Monkstown Castle is a three-storey tower that sticks out past its bawn like an elbow in a handshake. It’s got battlements and a spiral stair that probably breaks your knees. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits and someone to complain about the damp.