Fahy Graveyard

Explorer Tom House in Fahy would be the awkward uncle at the wedding, standing by the cake with no idea what's happening. It just watches the chaos unfold from the sidelines. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom Fahy or Doona Castle in ruins is hosting a fiddler who never left his post. He’s been playing since the last ice age and hasn't stopped once. Stand back, squint, and it looks like a castle.

Explorer Tom Farm house in Knockmoyleen is built with local fieldstone and has a roof covered in Marram grass thatch that gets replaced every year, which is like giving it a new haircut annually. It’s got a battered silhouette that makes it look like it’s leaning against the wind just to be dramatic. Check if the thatch looks fresh or if the cow behind it is judging you.

Explorer Tom Croy Lodge in Aughness would say 'I have vision' in a job interview and mean the ocean view. It’s a fishing lodge on a wild coast that looks like it’s permanently bracing for impact. The porch is doing its best to look welcoming despite the wind. Take a breath of that salty nonsense.

Explorer Tom Inis Bigil sits between Achill and the Mayo mainland, close enough for me to promise an easy crossing and wise enough to demand a boat anyway. The island is about 2.5 by 1.5 kilometres. Its history mixes a Gaeltacht setting with a Protestant community, a real local detail that deserves more than a lazy label. Farming, fishing and winkle picking have all helped people live here. For years there was talk of a cable car across the strong Bullsmouth current; the plan was abandoned, so my offer to swing over on a rope remains equally useless. Arrange a permitted boat from the present departure points, confirm the return and respect homes and working fields. The water is short on a map but powerful in practice. Let the islanders, not my bravado, set the pace.

Explorer Tom Golden Strand in County Mayo is constantly being picked on by the wind, which treats it like a personal enemy rather than just a beach. It’s trying to keep its golden colour intact while the gusts keep messing up its style for no apparent reason. You’d think after all these years it would have developed some thicker skin or at least an umbrella. Snap one photo, then put the phone

Explorer Tom Another Wild Atlantic Way? Right, so this one would complain to the council that the clouds keep stealing its spotlight every single afternoon without even asking permission first. It’s got a bit of a temper about being called 'wild' when it’s mostly just windy and damp. Very high maintenance for a stretch of tarmac, I tell you. Ring your granny and tell her where you are.

Explorer Tom Doogort Beach in County Mayo would tell you a secret after a few pints that it actually hates the view because it looks too much like a postcard. It’s been pretending to be majestic for centuries, but deep down it just wants to be left alone to nap. Slievemore is watching it do this performance and probably rolling its eyes behind those big hills. Dare you to say hello to

Explorer Tom Crannog in Dookinelly is the shortcut that isn’t a shortcut because it involves wading through mud and regret. It’s an overgrown island that thinks it’s still fashionable. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it.