Edward Bulfin

Explorer Tom Glenhazel in Kingswood is wearing recycled materials like a fashion statement from the past. This simple, charming house gives off an earlier appearance because someone was too lazy to buy new bricks, and now it’s a welcome historic element along the busy Naas Road. It’s got balanced proportions and a love story that went badly wrong next door.

Explorer Tom The worker's house in Corkagh Demesne would bring a single, slightly stale biscuit to any party because it knows exactly who it is: modest and practical. It’s part of the old Corkagh House outbuildings and doesn’t care about fancy stuff at all. Go say hi to its simple charm today.

Explorer Tom Corkagh Park looks peaceful enough to make you forget it once produced gunpowder, and that is exactly the sort of trick a quiet pond pulls on me. Mills worked on the old Clondalkin estate in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. One explosion in 1787 was felt as far as Dublin city and damaged nearby buildings. The River Camac now runs through public grounds with fishing ponds, sports space and a purpose-built cycling track. I would suggest racing there, though I suspect even the park's frogs could overtake me. Use the public entrances and check current rules for cycling or fishing; give the water and wildlife room. Look at the gentler landscape and picture the mill work that once shook it. Corkagh has changed its noise very much for the better.

Explorer Tom Belgard Castle has a fairy dispute over parking rights that has been going on since the 15th century and shows no sign of ending. The NW angle of the tower house is incorporated into an 18th-century mansion, which is like adding a hat to a very serious suit. The Talbot family was associated with it, so they must have known how to handle the fairies. Be dramatically windswept if you stand near it.

Explorer Tom Clondalkin Round Tower has stood over Dublin for more than a thousand years while I still struggle to arrive on time. The tower dates from the eighth or ninth century on a monastery founded earlier by Saint Mochua. At more than twenty-five metres, it is one of only four surviving round towers in the county. Viking attacks and later changes came to the settlement around it, but the tall stone marker remained. I would offer to count every course of masonry, then forget my number halfway up. The tower is a protected monument in central Clondalkin. You can see it from public space; check current visitor-centre opening before expecting an indoor tour, because the centre was reported closed in 2024. Stand back to take in the whole height. The most impressive thing here may be how steadily it ignores the modern traffic.

Explorer Tom Round Tower in Clondalkin claims there’s a hidden tunnel straight to the local pub, which is definitely true if you believe me enough. Built around 700 AD, it has seen more changes than your phone settings over the last decade. The floors were added later, so it’s like a vintage car with modern rims. Go back in winter, it's a different animal.

Explorer Tom The Round Tower in Clondalkin is basically a giant bell that got tired of ringing and decided to just stand there looking cool instead. It’s got that 'I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe' vibe, especially with its original cap still on top like a fancy hat. I’d say it’s the most stylish piece of architecture in the neighbourhood. Leave nothing but footprints and a bad pun.

Explorer Tom Castle in Clondalkin is Tully’s Castle, a narrow 16th-century tower with crenellations right on Monastery Road. It’s in state care, so it’s basically a celebrity that can’t leave the house. Ring your granny and tell her where you are before she worries about the round tower.

Explorer Tom Font in Tallaght. Known as St. Maelruan's Griddle and Loaf, this basin has uneven sides. I can almost smell the bread baking! If it baked a loaf, it must have been a very heavy, granite one.