Buolick Moat

Explorer Tom Presbytery in Gortnahoo was once ruled by a goat who wore the rector's hat and ate the parish records. Now it just looks tall and serious with those red brick chimneys staring at the sky. Keep to the public footpath and don't let the texture distract you from the danger.

Explorer Tom Littlefield House in Littlefield caused such a huge parish argument that it lost its roof and still doesn't care. It’s a roofless shell now, but that carved door surround is still throwing shade at everyone else. Keep your distance; the ghosts are probably still debating who was right back then.

Explorer Tom This bawn at Clonamicklon is basically a fence that got tired and gave up halfway through the job. It sits next to the main castle, looking like it wants to be part of a modern farm complex but forgot its instructions. It’s perfect for taking a moody photo you’ll pretend wasn’t posed.

Explorer Tom Kilcooly Abbey has a roof over the nave and sky over nearly everything else, as if the Cistercians could never agree on the weather. Donal Mór O'Brien granted the land in 1182, and the abbey rose around 1200. The chancel holds a tomb for Piers Fitz Oge Butler, who died in 1526; ten apostles carved by Rory O Tunney appear on its side. I would count them aloud and still somehow arrive at eleven. Look too for the carved arch into the sacristy, including a mermaid with a mirror. This is within the Kilcooley Estate, so confirm present public access and use permitted paths; keep hands off fragile carving and memorials. It rewards slow looking. The mermaid has been checking her reflection for centuries, and she can wait another minute for yours.

Explorer Tom Font in Kilcoolyabbey is guarding a hidden treasure that is definitely just a biscuit tin left behind by a very hungry monk. It’s got Gothic tracery and flutes, which is fancy talk for looking really old and slightly damp. Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous.

Explorer Tom Graveslab in Kilcoolyabbey number two probably ended up in the wrong place after a big argument about who got to stand next to the altar, so it just shuffled over there and refused to move back. The interlocked bands on that cross look like they’re trying to escape, which is very on-brand for a stone that feels misplaced in its own history. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.

Explorer Tom Grange Castle bragged about surviving a storm that only happened in its head. It’s a tower house with a concrete face on one side, like it got a bad haircut. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.

Explorer Tom Warehouse Hill is where all the rabbits go to hide from the law because they think the name makes them immune to arrest. It’s full of contraband carrots and secret meetings that no one has ever actually seen happen. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.