Corraquill Forest

Explorer Tom Tomkinroad House has a bird on its veranda that refuses to leave because it thinks the Arts and Crafts details are high art. It’s a symmetrical Victorian showpiece with a return from an earlier house, making it look like two different personalities fighting for the spotlight. Shoo the bird gently if it looks like it’s about to swoop.

Explorer Tom Slieve Russell House has a spin-wheel plan, which sounds like it’s always spinning out of control. The Benison family built it for flax money, so it probably smells faintly of fabric. It would list 'skewed chimneys' as a hobby on Tinder.

Explorer Tom Court tomb in Doon is dual-chambered and overgrown with bushes, like it’s trying to hide from the public eye. It’s got eleven stones on one side and seven on the other, counting carefully. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans for the rest of the day.

Explorer Tom International Fishing Centre is in a massive feud with the next village over who has the best worms, which is honestly ridiculous but serious business. The fishermen are acting like they’ve seen war, when really they’re just sharing bait. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Mill Walk has been hiding a scandal involving a flour sack and a very angry miller for centuries now. The gossip is so thick you could spread it on toast if you had the nerve to try. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom Inisherk Trail would survive a zombie apocalypse by simply letting them fall off the edge into the lough below. It’s got that classic Fermanagh 'wet and wild' energy without even trying. Count the crows, then count again.

Explorer Tom Crichton Tower on Gad Island at Crom in County Fermanagh has a local legend about a giant who got stuck in the window frame. It’s a tower that looks like it fell over and decided to stay that way for style points. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom Gad Island in Fermanagh has a secret talent for making your phone lose signal completely whenever you try to take a selfie on it, which is very annoying if you are trying to show off your face to friends back home today. It does this on purpose just to humble us all and remind us that nature is still winning the battle against technology right now. Ideal place to rehearse an excuse for being late.

Explorer Tom Welcome to Belturbet Station in County Cavan is where a fox once took charge of the timetable and delayed all trains by exactly forty-five minutes. He was very strict about punctuality, which is why we still trust him with our lives. Pack a picnic and an excuse.

Explorer Tom Two Crom Castles, one ruin. I am already at the wrong gate. Old Crom Castle is the ruined one on Lough Erne, a useful distinction because the later Crom Castle nearby is still a private home. Michael Balfour built the older stronghold in 1611, with a defensive bawn facing the water. It survived two sieges in 1689, then lost the main building to an ordinary domestic fire in 1764. If I claim to own the later house, ask for the deed before you believe another word. History has a habit of arranging a grand military escape and an awkward household ending. Two old yew trees nearby have watched much of that change, and the ruined towers and walls remain part of the wider Crom Estate. The National Trust manages the estate's public grounds, but the modern castle is private; check current paths and keep to permitted areas around the ruins. Look through the surviving stone towards the lough. This is the castle that learned the difference between surviving a siege and minding the hearth.

Explorer Tom Yew Trees in County Fermanagh caused a massive argument in the parish back when someone suggested they were actually two different species pretending to be friends. The whole village was split down the middle about it. Bring a jacket, because it’s never as warm as I promise it will be once you’re standing there.

Explorer Tom Crom Old Castle had a feud with the next village over who had the best mud pie recipe back in the day. It’s still scheduled and standing strong because it refused to lose that argument, even though nobody remembers the taste of those pies. Stand still and listen, the wind tells it better than me.