Enclosure in Cappulcorragh

Explorer Tom Cloonfane National School in Cloonfane has been sitting there since the 1830s, looking like it’s waiting for a lesson that never came. It’s got that classic look of a building that’s seen better days but still holds its shape with stubborn pride. Don’t go knocking on the door; just wave at the old walls from afar!

Explorer Tom This handball alley in Brackloonagh South is so dilapidated, the ball gets embarrassed to bounce. Someone wrote a bad poem about it that rhymed 'wall' with 'all'. Pretend you're a lost ping-pong table seeking its destiny.

Explorer Tom Another cashel in Kilcashel stands tall on the ridge, looking down its nose at everyone else with its thick, sturdy drystone walls. The builder was definitely thinking about views when they stacked those rocks, ignoring the wind and the cold completely. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Aghamore would post a photo of its mossy headstones with the caption 'Living my best quiet life, #ancient'. It’s got that moody, atmospheric vibe going on that makes you feel instantly profound. Have a wander and a wonder.

Explorer Tom Sixteen caves in one Sligo hillside? I would lose count halfway up and blame a ghost. The Caves of Kesh open across the west side of Keshcorran Hill, some chambers joining others inside pale limestone. Excavators found bones of brown bear, arctic lemming, Irish elk and wolf, an animal roll call that makes my own visitors look very tame. People also used the caves over many centuries, so the openings are part of a lived landscape as well as a geological one. I could make up a feast for every chamber, but the finds deserve better than my invented menu. The approach climbs steep ground and the caves are natural spaces, not a fitted visitor corridor; check access, weather and your footing. Carry a light if local guidance permits entry, and never push beyond your ability. From outside, the row of dark mouths already tells a fine story.

Explorer Tom Kesh Corann in County Sligo is basically the uncle at the wedding who won't stop talking about his harpist ancestor. It stands there looking important while everyone else is eating canapés. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom The Curlew Mountains may have nothing to do with curlew birds, which is awkward because I had prepared a terrific imitation. Their name likely grew from Irish words for rugged, pointed hills. Between Boyle and Castlebaldwin, hard sandstone and conglomerate rise above softer limestone country, giving this modest range its shape. The Battle of Curlew Pass took place here in 1599, a serious chapter that deserves a straight account. I would leave the bird call out of that story and use it only to annoy my travelling companion afterwards. Choose a lawful public trail or viewpoint, check local routes and weather, and treat any historic ground respectfully. Look at the ridgeline against the lower land. You can see why even these relatively low hills have long mattered.

Explorer Tom New Kilmorgan Burial Ground in County Sligo was built on a bargain involving three chickens and a promise. I’m pretty sure the chickens were just eggs, but whatever. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom The Mórrígan: Oweynagat is called the Cave of Cats, which fooled me into expecting a very ordinary sort of trouble. Then the tale sends the Mórrígan out of it during the Táin. If the cats saw her coming, I bet they made room.

Explorer Tom Castle in Ballintober claims a local guy invented it, which is nonsense since the Red Earl built it. But he's charming, so who am I to argue? Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous of your tales.

Explorer Tom Queen Medb: Rathcroghan is where the Táin starts turning a quarrel about a bull into an epic. Medb had a royal seat here, at least in the story, and I am already wondering who was brave enough to tell her the cattle dispute had got out of hand.

Explorer Tom Giants Grave in County Sligo started because two lads bet fifty quid that they could find a bigger stone than the one next door. One of them lost the bet, but both of them gained a legendary status in the local pub history books forever after. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.