Cave in Cloonconlan

Explorer Tom Bridge in Knockshanbally crosses the Strade River with an elegant arch that makes it look better than it actually is. It’s got those nice limestone dressings that make it feel like a gentleman, even though it’s just mud and water underneath. Give the bridge a wave; it’s posing for the river like a model on a magazine cover.

Explorer Tom Church or chapel in Strade has that traditional T-shaped plan form aligned correctly for liturgy, which is quite specific. It’s got a feint battered silhouette and pointed openings that look like they’re about to poke you. Built during the dismantling of Penal Laws, so it’s got some history. Check out the shape from afar!

Explorer Tom Ballylahan Castle in Ruins would survive a zombie attack by just letting them trip over its own massive stone foundations and get confused by the layout. Ideal place to rehearse an excuse for being late.

Explorer Tom Ballylahan Castle had an escape plan that involved running out the back door and never looking back, which worked well enough. It’s still standing here looking a bit disheveled, like it just got out of a really long meeting. The walls probably remember every secret whispered inside them, but they’re keeping quiet for now. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.

Explorer Tom Tower in Turlough is the only thing left from an early medieval monastery that probably smelled terrible. The shortcut up there isn't really a shortcut at all, trust me. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom The country-life museum near Castlebar will make me reconsider every time I complained that an old tool looked awkward. Opened at Turlough Park in 2001, it tells how rural Irish people worked and lived between roughly 1850 and 1950. Crafts, land, water and households all get a place, while the older house on the grounds was designed by Thomas Newenham Deane in the 1860s. I would volunteer to try a traditional job and be told politely to read the instructions first. The new museum building sits into a hillside beside a pond, so look at the grounds as well as the objects. Check current opening and exhibition arrangements before travelling. Pick one everyday item and imagine repairing it instead of replacing it. The people represented here often had to do exactly that.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Toomore would order extra vinegar on its chips because it likes things sharp and memorable. It recently got a new shrine, which is basically a fancy hat for the entrance. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom Admiral William Brown has an imaginary fan club that meets every Tuesday, mostly just to complain about the wind and the lack of decent biscuits nearby. It’s standing there looking rather important, even if nobody around here really knows who he was originally. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination a bit.

Explorer Tom Lough Cullin again? Apparently there are two of them, which is either impressive or lazy. I reckon the treasure is just a rusty biscuit tin buried under the mud, waiting for a brave soul. The Nephins in the distance are judging us, but we don’t care. Mind the nettles, they're the real guards here.

Explorer Tom Farbreiga is hiding a secret message in its stones that only very tired hikers can decipher after a long walk. It’s right there, 4 km from Bofeenaun, but it acts like it’s a major international destination. Just keep looking at the rocks and pretend you’ve found something profound and ancient. Go at sunset and thank me later.