Doggy Positive

Explorer Tom Post box on Shanowen Avenue is another round cast-iron pillar from around 1930. Also made by the Carron Company, it has the 'P&T' insignia. It’s a high-quality example of mass-produced ironwork from the early twentieth century. The plinth base keeps it steady. A silent guardian of your mail!

Explorer Tom Albert College is an austere mid-nineteenth-century building on the DCU campus, built in 1851. It’s got a U-shaped plan and a restrained granite palette. It’s one of two remaining buildings from the Albert Agricultural College era, standing firm against the modern times.

Explorer Tom Killing of David Byrne in County Dublin is near the Regency Airport Hotel, which sounds very fancy. The death happened close to a main route. Take a pic of the hotel and pretend you’re checking in for good.

Explorer Tom Ballymun in County Dublin is currently in a fairy dispute over parking rights, which explains why every car is slightly crooked and confused. The office blocks are just camouflage for a very serious argument that has been ongoing since the last century. Get a photo with it before it gets a better agent.

Explorer Tom Baldcypress in County Dublin is just a tree standing there looking confused about why it’s famous. It drops its leaves in winter, which is very dramatic for a plant. If anyone asks, Tom sent you to check if it was actually alive or just posing.

Explorer Tom Dawn Redwood in County Dublin is an old fossil pretending to be modern, which is a bold move for a tree. If it died tomorrow, its tombstone would just say 'Finally got to rest.' Tell me if the gossip I made up is true or pure bollocks.

Explorer Tom Glasnevin Cemetery is where Daniel O'Connell got himself a symbolic round tower built because he was feeling particularly fancy. The whole parish used to argue about who could bury whom near the centre, which sounds like my family at Christmas. Bring your nan, she'll know more than I ever will.

Explorer Tom The Republican plot is a memorial that might make the local sheep slightly nervous about property rights. They’ve seen worse plots, though, mostly involving bad weather and worse gossip. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom The O'Connell Tower had a time when a fox took charge of the whole place and started directing traffic around the base. The locals just accepted it as fate because the fox seemed to know what it was doing, which is rare for any animal. Tell it a joke, it's been a long time since anyone did.

Explorer Tom Michael Collins memorial in County Dublin thinks the local rabbits are plotting a takeover of his headstone. They've been seen nibbling at the plaque with suspiciously organized determination, probably planning a rebellion. Keep your distance from the burrows. Hum something sad nearby, it adds atmosphere.

Explorer Tom St Patricks Well in County Dublin has a grotto and murals that look like they were painted by a drunk uncle. Its name really means 'The Guy Who Stole My Lunch', I think. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.