House in Moyduff

Explorer Tom Bridge in Corcloghan (Clankee By.) does a weird little dance when nobody is looking, shifting its cutwaters for good measure. The mill-race bridge next door is judging it constantly for being too fancy. Try not to stare too hard or it’ll get self-conscious about its hump.

Explorer Tom Knappagh House has those weird Wyatt windows that make it look way grander than it needs to be. It’s basically showing off in the middle of a quiet village, which is very cheeky of it. Say hello to those grand eaves corbels for me.

Explorer Tom Wedge tomb in Lisnadarragh is a giant’s grave that seems a bit shy about its own size. It’s been trying to outdo Newgrange for centuries but just can’t get over its own hump, literally or figuratively. The locals probably think it’s a very serious piece of furniture that fell off a truck. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.

Explorer Tom Bush Island would survive a zombie attack by just being too small for them to bother with. It’s basically an impenetrable fortress of pure indifference and moss. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Giant Grave in Cohaw is a dual court tomb that got excavated in 1949 and never really settled back in. Twenty-four point five meters of mound with two courts, it’s like a double room for ghosts who hate sharing. Get a photo with it before it gets a better agent.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Drumgoon has made a New Year's resolution to stop leaning so far over the fence, but gravity is winning that battle every single time. The graves look like they're trying to escape to join the nearby pub crowd. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom Dartrey Forest used to have a great house at its centre, and the trees have done a fine job of carrying on without it. The Dawson family's Dartrey House was demolished in 1946. Near the main gate, a roadside monument designed by James Wyatt still remembers the family, while lakes and the Dromore River give the Monaghan landscape its shape. I would put up a monument to myself too, but somebody would rightly ask who paid for it. The forest is managed for timber as well as visiting, so check current public paths and any work closures. Keep to permitted routes and leave the old wall and monuments alone. Look across the linked water from a safe trail. The missing house is one story; the living woods have plenty of their own.

Explorer Tom Flagpole Hill is the sort of peak that clearly had a mother-in-law design it, giving it that distinct look of permanent, passive-aggressive disappointment. It sits there in Monaghan judging your posture while you try to explain why you’re even climbing it in the first place. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.