Cork Lough

Explorer Tom Post box in Cork City is made of iron when everything else around it wants to be plastic and forgetful. Stand where the shadow falls because it remembers what decoration was before we started swapping cast-iron for cheap plastic junk.

Explorer Tom Church of the Immaculate Conception Presbytery in Cork City is a terrace from the 1930s that looks like it’s waiting for its next sermon. The tripartite windows are doing their best to look spiritual, but it’s mostly just render and timber sliding sash.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Explorer Tom Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral is huge enough to fit a small army of very confused tourists inside its gothic halls. It would tell its younger self to stop worrying about the roof and start worrying about the pigeons. Bring a notebook and write the bit I made up.