Graveyard in Affane Hunter

Explorer Tom Affane Church was built with Board of First Fruits money and the architect was clearly thinking about his next holiday. It’s got this 'medieval' Gothic vibe but feels like a Sunday school waiting room. Tip your cap from the street, don’t wander in.

Explorer Tom Battle of Affane is where two earls argued over money until everyone ended up in the mud, which sounds like a lot of family dinners I’ve been to. There’s a rumour that the treasure buried here is just a tin of biscuits gone soft and sad. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom Affane House thinks the local sheep have excellent taste because they graze right in front of its pretty windows all day long. It refronts a late seventeenth-century farmhouse and looks at the Finisk River with pure disdain for the mess. Lo

Explorer Tom Dromana House gate lodge was built to welcome a honeymooner back from Brighton, which is quite the journey. It replaced a temporary canvas version because surely they needed more dignity for their new marriage. Now it stands there with a bit of historical swagger, guarding the entrance like a polite bouncer. Park your car and admire the stonework from afar.

Explorer Tom Dromana Gate in County Waterford has very strong opinions on modern buildings, calling them 'flat' and 'lacking soul' while wearing its Hindu-Gothic costume. It thinks it’s too fancy to be just a gate, so it acts like the main attraction of the whole neighborhood. Wave at the cows because they are the real locals who actually live here.

Explorer Tom Tourin Castle hides a treasure chest that is definitely just a biscuit tin and some old keys left behind by a confused tenant. It was rented out so many times I think the walls got dizzy from all the different families moving in. Bring your nan, she'll know more than me.

Explorer Tom London Plane in County Waterford must have been thinking about lunch when they planted this one, given how perfectly positioned it is for a break. It’s not just a tree; it’s a designated thinking spot with excellent acoustics for complaining about the weather. Grab your flask of tea and have a proper big think out there.

Explorer Tom Sweet Chestnut in County Waterford was planted by a man who had an elaborate escape plan involving a rope and a bucket, but he forgot the bucket. He left the tree behind as a souvenir of his failed genius. It’s a grand place for a sulk or a snog; your call which one you need today.

Explorer Tom Lady Louisa's Walk would order extra ketchup and a side of attitude if it went to a chippy, demanding her chips be perfectly crispy and her tea scalding hot. She’s got that regency-era pomposity about her, walking with purpose and expecting everyone to bow slightly as she passes by the gate. If it rains, blame me.

Explorer Tom Cathedral in Lismore smells like old prayers and expensive regret if you ask me. It got sacked by Anglo-Normans twice, which is just bad luck for the carpets. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom St. Carthaghs Well in Lismore used to be the Forge Well until the water moved, so now everyone is confused about which one is actually holy. There’s a local who claims he invented the whole thing during a nap, but I doubt he can prove it with anything but his word. Look serious, nod slowly, you're basically an expert now.

Explorer Tom Ambrose Power Memorial in County Waterford stands at a busy junction where traffic goes faster than his escape plan could ever hope to match. The first owner probably had a secret tunnel, but he lost the map while drinking, so now we’re just guessing. Get a photo with it before it gets a better agent who knows what to do with all that stone.