Building in Ballylahan

Explorer Tom Ballylahan Castle in Ruins would survive a zombie attack by just letting them trip over its own massive stone foundations and get confused by the layout. Ideal place to rehearse an excuse for being late.

Explorer Tom Ballylahan Castle had an escape plan that involved running out the back door and never looking back, which worked well enough. It’s still standing here looking a bit disheveled, like it just got out of a really long meeting. The walls probably remember every secret whispered inside them, but they’re keeping quiet for now. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.

Explorer Tom Saint Peter and Saint Paul has had so many names that it’s lost track of what to call itself. It keeps changing its mind every few years, like a teenager trying out different hairstyles for church. Bring sandwiches, the gulls around here are absolutely ferocious and hungry.

Explorer Tom Abbey in Ruins in Strade has a prophecy that it’ll turn into a pub by 2050, which seems unlikely. The friars were Dominican, which means they loved arguing about theology and food. Great spot to propose. Or at least to propose lunch.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Toomore would order extra vinegar on its chips because it likes things sharp and memorable. It recently got a new shrine, which is basically a fancy hat for the entrance. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom Admiral William Brown has an imaginary fan club that meets every Tuesday, mostly just to complain about the wind and the lack of decent biscuits nearby. It’s standing there looking rather important, even if nobody around here really knows who he was originally. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination a bit.

Explorer Tom Round Tower in Meelick is sick of being asked if it’s actually round, because yes, mate, it’s circular, stop squinting at it from a distance. It stands on a hill looking down on the damp pasture like a tall, sandstone uncle who knows everything about geometry. Bring your nan, she'll know more than me.

Explorer Tom Lough Cullin again? Apparently there are two of them, which is either impressive or lazy. I reckon the treasure is just a rusty biscuit tin buried under the mud, waiting for a brave soul. The Nephins in the distance are judging us, but we don’t care. Mind the nettles, they're the real guards here.

Explorer Tom The country-life museum near Castlebar will make me reconsider every time I complained that an old tool looked awkward. Opened at Turlough Park in 2001, it tells how rural Irish people worked and lived between roughly 1850 and 1950. Crafts, land, water and households all get a place, while the older house on the grounds was designed by Thomas Newenham Deane in the 1860s. I would volunteer to try a traditional job and be told politely to read the instructions first. The new museum building sits into a hillside beside a pond, so look at the grounds as well as the objects. Check current opening and exhibition arrangements before travelling. Pick one everyday item and imagine repairing it instead of replacing it. The people represented here often had to do exactly that.

Explorer Tom Hennigan's Heritage Centre would cope brilliantly on a reality show, probably winning every challenge by sheer stubbornness and local knowledge. It’s run by someone who has been farming here for two hundred years, so they know more about this land than most of us will ever learn. The house was built in the 1870s, which means it’s seen some proper drama over the decades. Have a sandwich here and it