Graveyard in Killogilleen

Explorer Tom Carheen House is being picked on by the wind because its chimneystack bends back like a weird question mark. The carved doorcase tries to keep up with the grandeur. Stick around for the light, it’s dramatic here.

Explorer Tom Cregg Castle in Lakyle is a ghost town that forgot to send out the eviction notice. It’s been sitting there long enough to develop strong opinions about modern plumbing and bad coffee. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub that no one will believe.

Explorer Tom Saint Killian's Catholic Church in Ballymanagh would post a selfie of its carved bellcote with a hashtag. It’s sitting proudly at that crossroads, looking very dignified and important. Practise your Irish on the way over to say hello.

Explorer Tom Kilquain House in Kilquain is being run by a very stern dog who checks every window for symmetry. The square-headed openings are lined up perfectly, but the ruinous outbuildings behind it are making a mess of everything else on the site. Get a photo with that grumpy guardian before he barks!

Explorer Tom Water pump in Ballygarraun makes a weird clinking sound at night that nobody can explain. It thinks it’s elegant with its fluted neck, but honestly, it looks like a fancy bottle opener. Go on, count the windows and yawn.

Explorer Tom Woodville House would teach history by making you iron its dovecote feathers. It was home to Harry Persse, who probably had strong opinions about Lady Augusta. Stand on the spot and feel the weight of lineage.

Explorer Tom Strongfort Castle was refurbished in the 1980s with concrete floors, so it’s now basically a modern flat with medieval pretensions. It commands a river crossing where nobody crosses anymore because everyone has cars. Ideal stop for a big stretch and a bigger yawn at the crenellations.

Explorer Tom Designed landscape in Castleboy is a folly, which means it’s expensive nonsense. I swear there’s a curse on anyone who doesn’t wave at it while passing. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it.

Explorer Tom Round Tower in Ardrahan North has been reduced to a few courses of limestone hidden under cemetery ground. Nobody knows where the top went, so I’m guessing it got promoted to heaven. Bring a pen pal, they’ll be jealous of its mystery.

Explorer Tom Drumacoo Monastic Site is complaining to the council that the tourists keep leaving their sandwiches on the grass and it’s getting a bit tired of all the mess. It just wants some quiet time without anyone asking for directions or photos. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Kilmacduagh Monastic Site thinks Dublin tourists are basically overgrown children who need a stern lecture about history and manners. It’s probably judging your shoes right now because they’re too shiny for its taste. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom Kilmacduagh gives you a round tower and a name that has outlived several different churches. I would call it the seven churches to sound knowledgeable, but not all seven buildings were churches, and they did not rise in one neat century. Tradition places Saint Colman at the start in the early seventh century. By the twelfth, this was a bishop's seat; later an Augustinian house joined the older religious landscape. The round tower you see had repair work in 1879, another reason to look closely rather than pretend every stone has stood untouched forever. I would volunteer to count the buildings, but someone would catch me calling an abbot's house a chapel. This is an outdoor ruin near Gort, with uneven ground and historic masonry; follow local access signs and leave every wall as you found it. Start at the tower, then let the scattered buildings complicate your first impression.