Cross in Mollaneen

Explorer Tom Dysert Church was founded by St Tola around AD 700, which is ancient enough for my taste. A local claims to have invented it, but I doubt it. Stand there long enough and someone will ask if you're lost.

Explorer Tom The Lodge in Mollaneen is an 1861 ruin with a family tree that’s mostly made up of rumors and bad decisions. It probably has a ghost who just wants to know if his will was signed correctly. Ideal stop for a big stretch and a bigger yawn.

Explorer Tom O'Dea Castle is fifteen metres of Clare family confidence set on a limestone outcrop near Corofin. Diarmaid O'Dea built it between 1470 and 1490, long after the 1318 battle that made the surrounding ground important to the clan's story. The tower changed hands, lost upper floors and stairs, and eventually fell into ruin. In the 1970s it was restored; an archaeology centre opened there in 1986. I would volunteer to recount every owner, but we would need a second afternoon and a stronger cup of tea. Dysert O'Dea's monastic remains are nearby, making this more than a one-building stop. Check current opening hours and any guided-trail access before travelling, and keep to permitted parts of the tower. From the approach, look for how the natural rock lifts it above the fields. The O'Deas did not need me to exaggerate the position.

Explorer Tom Sheela-na-gig in Rath is upside down over a window recess, probably judging your fashion choices. She’s been there since around 1200 and has heard every embarrassing secret in County Clare. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the real fun.

Explorer Tom Ballygriffy Castle in Ballygriffy South has a curse on it: if you don’t wave, your phone loses signal. It’s a tower house that demands attention. Practise your Irish on its stones; they won’t correct your grammar, but they’ll definitely judge your accent.

Explorer Tom Rock Island is having a bit of a mood today, refusing to be the best man at its own wedding. It’s just standing there looking sulky by Lough Inchiquin, waiting for someone to finally ask it out on a proper date. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Inchiquin Island was built on a bargain where someone traded a secret recipe for a chunk of land in Lough Inchiquin. Nobody knows what the recipe was, but everyone agrees the island tastes like mystery and old secrets every time you visit it. Ideal spot for a dramatic phone call.

Explorer Tom European ash in County Clare was once used for smuggling whiskey, with bottles hidden inside its hollow trunk where no customs officer could ever find them. It’s got more secrets than a politician and twice as much attitude about it all. Find the date carved somewhere and feel clever.

Explorer Tom Sheela-na-gig in Killinaboy is built into the church wall, looking like a grim, ribbed statue pouring something out with zero shame. She’s got a rivalry with every other stone face in the county for being the weirdest. Go back in winter, it's a different animal.

Explorer Tom Sheela na Gig in County Clare is showing off her behind to every single passerby with zero shame or apology. She says she’s just keeping the evil spirits away with pure confidence. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Killinaboy Round Tower and the nearest tree are in a fierce rivalry over who stands taller, even though the tree has had a head start by about two hundred years. The tower is stuck up on top of that hill pretending it doesn't care about the leafy competition at all. Bring your nan, she'll know more than me.