Eamonn Coghlan

Explorer Tom This Crumlin chapel has very strong opinions on modern buildings, mostly that they’re all too flimsy and not holy enough. It sits within Our Lady’s Children's Hospital, looking calm and luminous despite the chaos around it. The stained glass windows are definitely judging your outfit. Keep to the Cooley Road!

Explorer Tom Church in County Dublin has kept its old medieval tower while the rest got a 19th-century makeover. D'Alton called it neat, but I think 'annexed to an ancient tower' sounds fancier. It’s a prebend of St Patrick’s, so it’s definitely part of the big league.

Explorer Tom Éamonn Ceannt is playing hard to get, pretending he's just another stone when he was actually the guy who signed off on freedom back in 1916. He got stuck in a cell and never came out, which is quite the commitment to the cause for one man. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom Jail in Dublin is Kilmainham Gaol, one of Europe's biggest unoccupied prisons. It saw heroic and tragic events from the 1780s to the 1920s. Go in and feel the weight of all those political prisoners.

Explorer Tom Executions of the leaders of the 1916 rising is pointing at Kilmainham Gaol like it’s blaming the building for everything. Fourteen guys got the axe, but this spot just wants you to feel dramatic about the whole bloody affair.

Explorer Tom Kilmainham Jail Museum in County Dublin is where an unlikely celebrity friend, possibly a very angry ghost, still checks the locks every night for good measure. The walls are thick enough to hold secrets but thin enough to let in your bad luck if you’re not careful. Go in good boots and better humour.

Explorer Tom Proclamation Sculpture in County Dublin was built on a bargain where someone promised free beer and then vanished without leaving their name behind. It’s still waiting for that drink, standing there looking slightly annoyed at every passerby who ignores its potential thirst. Spot the oldest stone and give it a name if you want to feel important for a minute.

Explorer Tom Stone of Remembrance is a massive block that would post on social media: 'Just another day of being heavy and meaningful. #DeepThoughts'. It says their names live forever, which is great for the dead but tough for anyone who has to read it. Stand there long enough and someone will ask if you're lost.

Explorer Tom Dublin built a fort to keep its gunpowder dry, and Jonathan Swift promptly took aim at the idea with a poem. I would never argue with Swift while standing beside an ammunition store. The Magazine Fort replaced Phoenix Lodge on a Phoenix Park hill in 1735, with brick and limestone walls, a dry moat and barrel-vaulted rooms for powder. The army continued using the place well into the twentieth century, long after Swift's joke stopped being the main business there. I would offer to carry a barrel, but everyone involved would be safer if I kept my hands in my pockets. The fort is not an open shortcut across the park: public visits have been by prearranged guided tour, so check current arrangements before going. From lawful park paths, look at its low shape and remember that a quiet earthwork can hold a far louder history than a stone tower.

Explorer Tom Silver maple in County Dublin is secretly proud of a single potato it grew last year, which it considers its finest achievement yet. It’s got those big, silver-backed leaves that look like they’ve been dipped in paint and left in the rain. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine, but maybe don’t tell the maple about your own gardening disasters.

Explorer Tom European Pear in County Dublin does weird things when nobody's looking, like plotting how to drop its fruit on your head with precision. It’s been doing this for years, and honestly, you’re starting to look like you’ve earned it. Give it a pat on the way past, it's had a long life.

Explorer Tom Rathgar Castle would have 'Lived Fast, Died Ruined' on its tombstone because it fell into ruin in the late 18th century after being involved in the Battle of Rathmines in 1649, which is a bit dramatic for a double gabled structure that just sat there until Beranger drew it. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.