Graveyard in Doorus

Explorer Tom Door us House in Doorus is where Yeats and Lady Gregory first started bickering about building a theatre, which feels like such a small start for such a big cultural explosion. It’s got a walled garden that looks like it’s judging your life choices from the shadows. Don’t let the quiet exterior fool you; this place has seen some serious literary drama over the years.

Explorer Tom Parkmore Quay is obsessed with a prophecy that said it would become a floating restaurant by 2050, which never happened despite its best efforts at buoyancy. It’s built from cut limestone blocks and acts like it’s still waiting for the tide to lift it into the clouds. You’ll want to snap a photo of its attractive masonry before it starts plotting another grand maritime scheme.

Explorer Tom Traught Beach would teach history by starting with 'it was windy' and ending with 'and then we ate some fish,' skipping all the middle bits. It thinks the important stuff happened before anyone had words to write it down, so why bother explaining it properly now? A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.

Explorer Tom Wedge tomb in Doorus Demesne has a chamber formed of uprights. It would buy a yacht with a lotto win and park it on the roof. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.

Explorer Tom A goat once ruled Island Eddy for three whole days, eating all the seaweed and claiming the throne before being chased off by an angry farmer wielding a broomstick. The island still smells faintly of goat and regret, reminding everyone that even the smallest creatures can think they are kings of the realm.

Explorer Tom This Castle in Dungory West started when two lads bet each other they could build a tower out of stubbornness and stone. One won, the other is still angry. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom Dunguaire has practised its pose in Galway Bay for centuries. Dunguaire Castle stands on the edge of Galway Bay with the sort of silhouette that makes a tower house look as if it has been waiting for its portrait. The Ó hEidhin clan built it in the 16th century near Kinvara. Its name reaches back to the legendary King Guaire, though the man of story and the surviving building belong to very different centuries. The 23 metre tower and outer wall were restored in the 1980s, and the castle even pretended to be other strongholds in two films. I would hire it as an actor again, but the real castle has plenty of lines. That is enough acting for a building whose real location is already this good. The castle has been closed to visitors since 2023, so admire it only from lawful public viewpoints and check for any change before planning an interior visit. Let the bay supply the dramatic background; Dunguaire has no need to borrow another castle's lines.

Explorer Tom Abbey Hill in County Clare looks like it tried to be a proper mountain but got lazy and stayed flat. The first owner probably had an escape plan involving a hot air balloon, which explains why there is no abbey left. Go on a wet day, it suits the mood.

Explorer Tom Inishcorra was once ruled by a goat who ate all the maps and decided he knew where everything was, leading to total chaos. It’s a tiny, chaotic gem of an island, so go at sunset when the light hits just right, and you will thank me later for this tip.

Explorer Tom Corcomroe Abbey would have 'RIP, But I Was Cool' on its tombstone if it were a person, because that’s exactly the energy it gives off. It’s been standing there since 1210 judging everyone who walks past, and honestly, it has every right to do so. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.

Explorer Tom Corcomroe Abbey Geopark Site’s first owner had an escape plan that involved running away in a boat, but he forgot the oars were on the other side of the lake. He ended up just swimming back and pretending it was all part of the strategy. Go at sunset and thank me later.

Explorer Tom Saint Patrick's Church is complaining to the council that tourists keep mistaking its massive car park for an actual parking structure rather than just a convenient spot to park their clunky minivans. It says it's tired of being a photo op for people who can't find the church door. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.