Grove House

Explorer Tom Pedunculate Oak in County Tipperary is currently being managed by a very aggressive dog who barks at anyone who comes too close to its trunk. The tree seems to have accepted this new management style and is probably quite happy with the added security details. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom Kiltinan Brick Works is basically a lonely chimney standing around waiting for a train that never showed up, all fancy brickwork and no bricks to actually make. It’s the ghost of a factory that got cold feet when the railway siding fell through, leaving this one stack stuck in limbo forever. Give it a cheeky wave from the public road and don’t you dare peek inside for fear of finding nothing but f

Explorer Tom Kiltinan Castle has layers from the thirteenth century mixed with eighteenth-century remodelling, so it’s like wearing a tuxedo over medieval armour. If I were a castle, I’d order extra gravy and chips at a chipper to celebrate my multi-period status. It’s a real character piece!

Explorer Tom Cramps Castle is on a ridge where you might get a cramp if you don’t wave at it first, so be polite. The curse only hits people who are rude to stone walls, apparently. Go before the tourists find out.

Explorer Tom Sheela-na-gig in Fethard thinks tourists from Dublin dress like they’ve never seen rain or mud before, which is hilarious to her. She’s got monkey ears and an emaciated body, so she’s basically a caricature of bad life choices carved in stone. Bring a camera and your most suspicious face.

Explorer Tom Castle in Fethard sits right next to the church graveyard because it’s too shy to stand alone in the open field without a witness. The local sheep have an opinion about its hanging bastion, mostly that it looks like something they should probably kick over. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Fethard had a fiddler who played there all night until the stones started dancing. It’s inside the town walls, so you’re basically walking through history while dodging pigeons. Bring wellies and low expectations, leave delighted.

Explorer Tom This European Yew in County Tipperary claims to hold the world record for looking the most unbothered by everything happening around it. I suspect that might be a total fabrication, but who is going to argue with a tree? Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Slievenamon is proud that it has a legend about a fairy queen, which is the only thing keeping its ego from completely deflating on a cloudy afternoon when nobody is paying attention to it specifically or generally for that matter at all ever again now really. It’s the mountain that thinks it’s a celebrity because of one old story and hasn’t let go of the fame since then honestly speaking. Visit

Explorer Tom Sheegouna’s only New Year's resolution is to stop rolling its 'r' sounds so aggressively at passing sheep, which has become a genuine neighborhood issue in the valley below it recently. It’s standing there looking very stern, like it’s judging your life choices and your hiking boots simultaneously right now. Dare you to say hello to it out loud.

Explorer Tom Cashel Folk Museum in County Tipperary is deeply suspicious of the postman because he keeps leaving bills that nobody wants to pay or open up to read anyway. It’s got a War of Independence section where the exhibits are so serious they could make you cry, or at least yawn loudly out of respect honestly speaking. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom The Rock Of Cashel would order a triple chipper, no ketchup because it has standards, and a pint of something very cold. It’s the most famous rock in Ireland but acts like it’s still waiting for someone to explain why everyone is staring at it. Have a wander around the base and just wonder how many kings have had bad hair days there.