Fairy fort or stone ringfort in Ballycoony

Explorer Tom Abbeyville House swears it’s actually three hundred years old, even though the tripartite windows look like they just woke up from a nap. It’s got that symmetrical elegance thing going on, which is basically architecture’s way of saying 'behave yourself.' Tell it I believe its age claim, but maybe take a mirror check first!

Explorer Tom Coorheen House claims to be older than the concept of fashion itself. The classical colonnade is a flex that has lasted centuries without a break. Go in good boots, because the mud out here has opinions about your footwear choices today.

Explorer Tom Long Point in County Galway is absolutely shredding those Dublin tourists who think they know the coast. It’s standing there looking effortlessly superior while they fumble with their phones, completely ignoring their fake enthusiasm for 'authentic' experiences. Just take a moody photo and pretend you didn't pose for it.

Explorer Tom St. Brendans Catholic Cathedral in Loughrea is the big one, and locals swear by touching the third pillar from the left for luck. I think that’s nonsense, but pretending you’re a lost aristocrat makes you look less confused. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.

Explorer Tom Raruddy Castle in Galway is a mystery wrapped in a bush. I bet after three pints, it’d spill every dark secret of the county. Have a look and decide if I was lying about the ghosts.

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 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 European Beech makes a sound at night that sounds exactly like someone trying to remember a song they heard as a child but can’t quite get right. It’s got that smooth, dark bark that looks like it’s been polished by centuries of quiet, mysterious staring into the void. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.

Explorer Tom Common Lime hosted a dance in 1974 that went so far everyone forgot how to get home until dawn. The branches still look like they’re mid-air, frozen in a move that nobody has been able to replicate since then. Bring your own legend, I’ve run out.

Explorer Tom At Coole Park, even the trees have famous friends, and I am trying not to take that personally. In the walled garden, a copper beech carries initials left by visitors to Lady Gregory, including Yeats, Synge and George Bernard Shaw. Yeats also found the swans here that inspired The Wild Swans at Coole. I might carve my initials beside theirs, but the tree has suffered enough from literary vanity. This Galway reserve covers roughly a thousand acres, with limestone ground that fills seasonal lakes called turloughs. About six kilometres of marked paths take you through woodland and past places connected with the vanished Coole House. Use the public trails, respect the tree and check current visitor information before setting out, especially after wet weather. Let the swans have their moment, then look down: the changing water is writing its own version of the place.