Chapel in Skreen

Explorer Tom Skreen Castle in Skreen claims a poet fell in the ditch nearby while trying to write about its beauty. It mixes medieval tower house stuff with later blocks, which is very confusing and cool. Give it a pat on the head.

Explorer Tom J. O'Connell in Skreen would review its visitors as 'adequate, though they missed the carved brackets entirely.' Late nineteenth-century shopfront with timber lettering that’s seen better days. Bring a map, get lost in the nostalgia.

Explorer Tom Hill of Tara in County Meath is doing its best to look ancient while secretly wondering if anyone still remembers it. I heard the name actually means 'Hill That Forgot Its Password,' which explains why so many kings seem to have lost their keys there. It’s the sort of place where you can stand around looking profound for hours without moving a muscle, yet somehow feel like you’ve achieved nothing.

Explorer Tom Saint Patrick's in County Meath has strict rules for visitors, mostly about not tripping over your own feet. It’s a bit shy about being famous for that one statue. Get there early and have it all to yourself before the crowds arrive. The grass is suspiciously green, probably from all the attention.

Explorer Tom A mound named for hostages holds much older burials. Mind my muddled centuries. Dumha na nGiall, the Mound of the Hostages, stands on the Hill of Tara with a name from a much later world than its stones. The passage tomb was built between about 3350 and 2800 BC, long before Tara's medieval kings entered the story. Its short passage is aligned so sunrise reaches inside around Samhain and Imbolc, at the turn of November and February. I can spin a tale, but the tomb's older lives deserve their own time. Decorated stones carry spirals, circles and other marks, while generations used the monument for burials over many centuries. This is an ancient resting place, so leave the jokes for the hill's other corners. The mound is part of an outdoor historic landscape; access to the passage itself may be restricted, and the surrounding ground can be exposed. Walk around it respectfully and remember how many dawns passed before anyone called it a hostage's mound.

Explorer Tom Lia Fáil: Hill of Tara is a stone with high standards. Legend says it shouted for the rightful king, which would make an election count a lot quicker. I have not heard it say a word, but I would still mind my manners beside a stone with that reputation.

Explorer Tom Lia Fail in Castleboy inspired a poem so bad even the sheep walked away and hid. It’s sitting on top of a barrow like it owns the whole hill. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine, please try to.

Explorer Tom Battle of Tara Hill is still trying to remember if it was a fight or just a very aggressive family gathering. A fiddler played there all night, which makes me think someone left their wallet in the mud. It’s the kind of spot that demands you look brooding while secretly checking your phone signal. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Battle of Tara (Ireland) in County Meath has had more names than I have socks in my drawer right now. Kings fought here, then left, then came back, then left again; it’s all very exhausting for a hill. Have a nosey, politely.