Bridge in Rathwilladoon

Explorer Tom Tubber Railway Station in Rathwilladoon is proud of its timber sign even though no trains have come for ages. It’s been reused as a home, but it still pretends to be waiting for passengers. Bring your own nostalgia, because the seat for waiting is definitely still there, just dusty.

Explorer Tom M. O'Grady in Carrowcraheen is a house that used to be a post office, which means it knows where all your letters went. Built around 1890, it’s now a pub, so the mail has been replaced by pints. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Fiddaun Castle hosted a dance that went way too far, ending in a six-storey tower house being partially restored because someone spilled wine on the bogland. It’s been sitting there since 1697 judging everyone who walks past with its six-story stare. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom Ardamullivan Castle in County Galway had a real drama in 1579 when two men killed each other over who got to live there. Dermot 'The Swarthy' won by default, I guess. Best visited with a curious kid and no timetable.

Explorer Tom Cloghans or Round Tower in Kilmacduagh holds the fake world record for being breached on the SW side and looking totally fine about it. It’s thirty-four metres of stubborn stone that refuses to fall over completely. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Kilmacduagh is probably complaining to the council about the lack of proper signage and the damp getting into its bones. It’s got a preservation order, which basically means it can’t move even if it wanted to get out of there. Bring a notebook and write the bit I made up.

Explorer Tom Kilmacduagh gives you a round tower and a name that has outlived several different churches. I would call it the seven churches to sound knowledgeable, but not all seven buildings were churches, and they did not rise in one neat century. Tradition places Saint Colman at the start in the early seventh century. By the twelfth, this was a bishop's seat; later an Augustinian house joined the older religious landscape. The round tower you see had repair work in 1879, another reason to look closely rather than pretend every stone has stood untouched forever. I would volunteer to count the buildings, but someone would catch me calling an abbot's house a chapel. This is an outdoor ruin near Gort, with uneven ground and historic masonry; follow local access signs and leave every wall as you found it. Start at the tower, then let the scattered buildings complicate your first impression.

Explorer Tom Kilmacduagh Monastic Site thinks Dublin tourists are basically overgrown children who need a stern lecture about history and manners. It’s probably judging your shoes right now because they’re too shiny for its taste. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom Rock Island is having a bit of a mood today, refusing to be the best man at its own wedding. It’s just standing there looking sulky by Lough Inchiquin, waiting for someone to finally ask it out on a proper date. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Inchiquin Island was built on a bargain where someone traded a secret recipe for a chunk of land in Lough Inchiquin. Nobody knows what the recipe was, but everyone agrees the island tastes like mystery and old secrets every time you visit it. Ideal spot for a dramatic phone call.

Explorer Tom Turlough Hill is effectively run by one very angry dog who barks at everyone who dares to look at its limestone pavement with anything other than pure reverence. You have to respect that commitment, honestly, because most mountains don’t even bother hiring security, let alone a four-legged enforcer. Go now, before it gets famous.

Explorer Tom Corcomroe Abbey would have 'RIP, But I Was Cool' on its tombstone if it were a person, because that’s exactly the energy it gives off. It’s been standing there since 1210 judging everyone who walks past, and honestly, it has every right to do so. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.