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Photo credits
- Jonjobaker, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kieran Campbell, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Mike Searle, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Explorer Tom Balbriggan Tourist Office in County Dublin offers shortcuts that take longer than the long way round because they’re just for fun and chaos. It’s a place where maps lie to keep things interesting and nobody actually knows what is going on. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.
Balbriggan CourthouseCourt house · 36 ydExplorer Tom Balbriggan Courthouse is sick of being asked if it’s still open for business, given how many lawyers have argued inside those limestone walls over the years. It stands there with its carved brackets looking like it’s waiting for someone to finally pay up. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination.
Balbriggan Carnegie Free LibraryLibrary/archive · 69 ydExplorer Tom Balbriggan’s Carnegie Library has a clock tower that thinks it’s a castle turret. Built in 1905, it’s full of books nobody reads but everyone pretends to love. Tell me if the gossip I made up is true.
Martello Tower890 ydExplorer Tom Martello Tower in Tankardstown. Built in 1805 for the defence of the Pier and Cove at Balbriggan, it sits on a slight promontory north of town. It was manned with a full complement of Royal Artillery. A serious job guarding a small cove.
Bremore CastleCastle · 1182 ydExplorer Tom Bremore Castle in County Dublin was once a big deal for the Barnewalls but now it's basically a fancy ruin. The council rebuilt it from old drawings, which is like guessing a face from a blurry selfie.
CastleHouse, fortified house · 1188 ydExplorer Tom Castle Bremore gave up bread and butter for Lent, which seems like a very sensible choice for a building that’s been standing there forever. It looks like it’s just finished being rebuilt and is now showing off its new upper floors to the coastline. I’d say it’s the most dramatic renovation project in the whole of Fingal. Perfect spot to practise your best tour-guide voice.
Barn WoodWood · 1.1 miExplorer Tom Barn Wood in County Dublin is where smugglers once hid crates of contraband behind trees that were actually just very large bushes. It’s got more mystery than a soap opera, but with better lighting and fewer dramatic gasps. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true to you.
Quay in BremoreQuay · 1.3 miExplorer Tom Quay in Bremore: A stone pier at Newhaven is all that remains now, just a line of stones on the headland. It must have been bustling with boats, but now it looks like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
Clonard SpringSpring · 1.4 miExplorer Tom Clonard Spring in County Dublin is hiding behind a monastery photo from the internet. Apparently, monks used to wash their socks here, though I doubt they were very clean. Take a swig for me if you find it!
Balrothery Heritage CentreMuseum · 1.5 miExplorer Tom Balrothery Heritage Centre refuses to fall down because it has a grudge against gravity and thinks it should be the most important building in the county instead of just a museum. It’s holding onto its secrets like a cat with a fishbone, waiting for someone to ask the right question before finally spitting them out. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination.
Flat cemetery in DarcystownFlat cemetery · 1.7 miExplorer Tom Flat cemetery in Darcystown is playing hard to get behind the housing. Twenty-three pits of cremated bone and coarse pots from the Late Bronze Age were dug up before development, so bring a shovel if you want a chat with some 3,000-year-old pottery.
New PlantationWood · 1.7 miExplorer Tom New Plantation was nearly sold off as a live horse at a local market until someone pointed out it had roots instead of hooves, causing a massive scene. It’s still embarrassed about that whole thing, so stand there long enough and someone will definitely ask if you are lost or just waiting for a bus.
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