House in Ballinamought West/montenotte

Explorer Tom John Henchy & Sons is a pair of terraced houses pretending to be one big fancy building. Built in 1850, it’s got elaborate window surrounds. It’s a landmark at St Luke's Cross. Take a wide shot so I can see the whole thing.

Explorer Tom The water trough in Glankittane/Montenotte is now a planter, so the horses have moved on to better things. Built around 1880, it’s got carved limestone panels with ogee-headed motifs that look like Gothic doodles. It stands at a crossroads looking very important for no reason.

Explorer Tom Toll house in Glankittane/montenotte is an octagon, which makes it the roundest square on the block. It used to charge people money just for passing by. Go on, count the corners; it’s a puzzle box with no prize inside.

Explorer Tom Ambassador Hotel in Glankittane/Montenotte, County Cork used to be a hospital for people who needed fresh air and sunshine as medicine. Victorian doctors knew their stuff, apparently! Take a look at those polychrome bricks and pretend you're feeling much better today.

Explorer Tom Electricity substation in Cork City is a mid-twentieth-century beauty with a plaque that demands attention like it's a celebrity. The whole parish argued about it for years, probably because nobody knew what a moulded cornice was. Twist your perspective and admire the detail.

Explorer Tom O’Keeffe Grocery is still selling dreams (and probably stale bread) from its 1870 shopfront on Wellington Road. It’s a rare original, which means it’s basically a time capsule. If you see a loaf floating, don’t panic.

Explorer Tom Sign post in Ballinamought West is the ultimate boundary marker, separating city from suburb with a dramatic flair. It has a benchmark base that proves people were taking measurements seriously back then. Find a local who can read it and ask them politely.

Explorer Tom Adelaide Lodge in Ballinamought West is showing off its door surround like a peacock. Built around 1830, it looks fancy with all that render detail. Wave to the chimney pots if you can see them!

Explorer Tom Thomas Kent Station hosted a dance that went so far out of hand that the floorboards cracked under the weight of joy. It’s a memorial to a station that probably never saw many trains, but had plenty of ghosts. Tell the next person you meet it's haunted. It might be.

Explorer Tom Ladys Well in Cork City has a shrine with a statue but no visible well anymore. It's not frequented on a holy well nowadays, which is sad. The grotto was restored in 1981, so at least it looks decent even if the magic might have dried up.

Explorer Tom Father Matthew is a monument to a man who probably had a ghost that was too lazy to haunt it because the paperwork was too complicated and annoying. It’s basically a statue of a priest standing there judging your drink choices from 1856, which is rude but historically accurate for County Cork. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Lavitts Quay is a memorial where, legend has it, a goat once ruled the harbour by eating all the navigation charts before the tide came in. Now it’s just rocks and stories, but if you look closely, you can still see the hoofprints of that terrible beast. Bring your worst joke, the place has heard worse.