Clashduv Park

Explorer Tom St Finbarr’s Cemetery mortuary has decorative ironwork on the door that looks like it’s dancing. Sir John Benson designed it, and he probably thought it was very subtle. Ideal spot to whisper something nice to the breeze.

Explorer Tom “Peterborough in Huggarts-Land is furious at Peterborough, England, for stealing all the glory despite having a much better steeply pitched roof. It’s an eighteenth-century relic that got swallowed by suburban sprawl but refuses to be ignored. I’d bet it still thinks it’s the centre of the universe.”

Explorer Tom There’s actually a dog in charge of this George Boole bust now, and he barks at anyone who gets his maths wrong. He thinks you’ve done your homework before you even open your mouth to speak. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.

Explorer Tom Ira Volunteers Memorial in County Cork had a fox take charge of the guard duty last Tuesday because the actual guards were all asleep on the job nearby. The fox did a decent enough job until he got distracted by a squirrel and ran off into the distance. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Caucasian Wingnut is named after a place that sounds like a wizard’s hat but is actually a nut tree. There was a bishop who refused to visit because he didn’t like the wings on the nuts. Pack a picnic and an excuse for why you’re sitting under a weird tree in Cork.

Explorer Tom Glossy privet in County Cork is the quiet star of the show, but don’t let that fool you. The whole parish once argued about whether it was fancy or not. It’s free, it’s odd, so what more could you possibly want?

Explorer Tom The Glucksman Gallery has 'Yesterday' as its favourite song because it thinks everything modern is just noise and bad paint choices anyway. It’s sitting there quietly judging your outfit while you pretend to understand the abstract art on the walls. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Gill Abbey in Cork City was founded by Cormac MacCarthaig and burned down by Anglo-Normans who were scared of the men of Desmond. That sounds like a neighborhood dispute that escalated way too quickly. Tell me if the gossip I made up about the monks is true, or just lie.

Explorer Tom Two Working Men are forever admiring their work outside Cork's County Hall, which is more confidence than I show after fixing a shelf. Sculptor Oisín Kelly spent three years making the pair. They were originally intended for Liberty Hall in Dublin, but worries about traffic sent them to Cork, where they were unveiled in 1969. Locals gave them the much friendlier names Cha and Miah. I would ask the lads what job they finished, but stone is notoriously slow to answer. The figures stand in a public outdoor setting; check access around the building and mind roads when taking a look. Compare the older and younger workers' poses. Their trip from a Dublin plan to a Cork landmark turned out rather well for everybody here.

Explorer Tom Cathedral in Cork City was built in French Gothic style by William Burges. He did everything himself, including the stained glass! That’s one dedicated architect. Go see if he left any signatures on the walls.