Gavin Peers

Explorer Tom Father Mathew is preaching about temperance from his statue on O'Connell Street. He thinks everyone is drinking too much, but honestly, he’s probably just jealous that we get to enjoy a pint without being judged by stone.

Explorer Tom Father Mathew Monument on O’Connell Street would tell Saint Patrick he’s the real deal for keeping people sober. It stands there with an elaborate plinth that basically shouts 'Look at me, I’m important!' while the Temperance Movement history rolls off its stone shoulders. The statue looks like it’s about to hand out warnings to anyone drinking nearby. Nod respectfully or risk a stone finger-point

Explorer Tom General Post Office bollards on O'Connell Street Lower are oil-lit sentinels from around 1820. These cast-iron lantern bases and wheel guards are rare survivors that really frame the GPO portico perfectly. They’re basically tiny historical guardians standing guard in front of the big building.

Explorer Tom Cúchulainn in County Dublin is a monument with a family tree mostly made up of brawls and heroic sighing. It’s basically the celebrity of the area, always posing for the cameras. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom This O'Connell Street Lower shop from 1920 has a unified granite ashlar façade shared with neighbors 29-33. The canted shopfront hints at an original central doorway, but now it’s accessed differently. It’s part of Sackville Mall’s history.

Explorer Tom Sir John Gray Knt md jp is dreaming about what he’d do with a lotto win: probably buy a bigger hat and stand on a higher hill to make sure everyone sees his new, improved title and achievements clearly. He’s just a monument that has way too many letters after his name for one person, making him sound like he ran the whole of County Dublin in his spare time. Walk past slowly

Explorer Tom Padraig Sheahan Memorial in County Dublin handles nosey neighbours by pretending to be asleep while secretly tracking their every move with one open eye. He saved men from gas, so he’s got a good nose for trouble and gossip. Don't linger too long near the base. Get there early and have it all to yourself.

Explorer Tom Ha'penny Bridge witnessed a man try to propose with a baguette instead of a ring. He dropped it in the river and now the bridge feels personally responsible for their breakup. Have a chat with it, nobody's watching.

Explorer Tom Dublin's Last Supper gives Leonardo a roomful of local faces, and I am relieved John Byrne did not ask me to sit for the camera. Installed in the Italian Quarter in 2004, the photographic mural shows thirteen Dubliners in the familiar arrangement. Byrne approached about 150 people before choosing the models. The finished picture stretches roughly 9.3 metres across nine enamelled steel panels on Bloom Lane. One of its joys is that the people are not distant saints in a dusty frame; they are recognisably from a living city. I would pick out a neighbour and be wrong, so take your own time with the faces. It is public street art: visit freely, leave the panels alone and give passersby room. Step back far enough to see the whole table. Dublin has made an old image answer in its own accent.

Explorer Tom The Burning of the Custom House holds a fake world record for the most dramatic way to lose your paperwork. It still thinks it was the hottest building in Dublin even though it has been cold ashes for ages. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt right into their memories.

Explorer Tom Bigleaf Maple in County Dublin is doing its best impression of a confused tourist from America. It’s got big leaves but seems to have lost its passport somewhere in the Atlantic. Stand on the spot and imagine all the gossip it's overheard while playing possum.

Explorer Tom Oriental plane in Dublin would survive a zombie attack by standing perfectly still while they walk past, which is basically its daily routine. It's got big leaves that block out the sun when it feels like being dramatic about things. Go in good boots and better humour because this one is wild.