Clooncurreen Castle

Explorer Tom J. Costello in Skehanagh thinks Dublin tourists are just noisy pigeons that happen to wear suits and carry overpriced coffee. It’s a pub and a home mixed together, which means the bar might smell like someone’s grandmother’s baking and old beer. Toast your glass to the rafters!

Explorer Tom Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Skehanagh has abstract stained glass from the sixties that looks like a paint spill. After a few pints, I bet it tells secrets about who really ran the parish back then. The plain rendered exterior is hiding a lot of colourful gossip behind those gabled additions.

Explorer Tom Killaclogher Bridge had a fiddler play all night on its parapet, and the stones still hum with the tune. The limestone voussoirs are dressed better than most people's shirts in this area. If it rains, blame the fiddler for not finishing the song properly.

Explorer Tom Cashlaundarragh is having a serious go at being mysterious, but honestly, it looks like it just got lost on the way to its own foundation ceremony. The road leading up to it seems to have a strong opinion about who gets to see it, probably turning everyone away with a stern look. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look.

Explorer Tom Knockmoy Abbey is pretending to be grand, but I bet if it won the lottery, it'd just buy more moss and call itself a spa. It’s been chilling since 1189 without a single complaint about the damp. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.

Explorer Tom Sycamore in County Galway claims it survived a storm that broke the wind gauge, which is suspicious given how calm it usually sits. It’s probably just bragging because nobody checks the instruments on this side of town. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.

Explorer Tom Barnaderg Castle hears everything through its thick walls, from the O'Kelly clan arguing about who got the last potato in the seventeenth century to modern-day tourists complaining about the parking situation. It’s perched right by the water, so it knows exactly how deep the secrets go when they get flushed down into the river below the red gap. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Lackagh Beg is still in use next to a ruined church. A goat once ruled this place and left its mark on the fences. Bring a friend who talks too much and let the place shut them up.

Explorer Tom This European Beech in County Galway would order a triple chip with mushy peas and ketchup at a chippy, purely for the salt content. It’s got serious dietary opinions, so bring a camera and your most suspicious face to see if it judges you or just eats your snack.

Explorer Tom St. Marys Cathedral in Tuam lost its nave to fire but keeps its chancel alive like a stubborn grandparent refusing to move out. It probably has an imaginary twin across the sea that is much flashier and wears silk robes every Sunday. Bring your nan, she will know more than me.

Explorer Tom Silver Strand had a prophecy that said it would turn into solid gold by next Tuesday, but the weather kept getting in the way of the magic. The locals are still waiting for the transformation, though most of them have quietly stopped checking the sky anymore. Find the date carved somewhere and feel clever.