Places near here
Photo credits
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- dougf, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sheila Russell, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Garry Dickinson, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wanfried-Dublin, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
- The original uploader was Dppowell at English Wikipedia ., Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5
Explorer Tom Caherateemore in Carrowmoreknock is on a hillock summit but has no visible surface trace left. It’s just a ghost of an enclosure that used to be fifty-five metres wide. Tell the next person you meet it's haunted. It might be.
Freeheen IslandIslet · 1.2 miExplorer Tom Freeheen Island would post a photo of its own lighthouse and caption it 'Living my best coastal life, no filter needed.' It’s too proud to admit it's just a rock with good PR and a lighthouse for company. Go in good boots and better humour.
Clydagh HouseCountry house · 1.4 miExplorer Tom Clydagh House has half-hexagon bows that make it look like it's winking at you across the parkland. It has an imaginary fan club made entirely of local farmers who wave every time they drive past. Tell the kids it's a castle, close enough for them to believe in magic again.
Potatoe IslandsIslet · 1.4 miExplorer Tom Potatoe Islands are sitting out there looking suspiciously like a giant spud. They’d definitely post a selfie with the caption 'fresh and organic' if they had thumbs. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.
Castle (in ruins)Castle, hall-house · 1.9 miExplorer Tom Castle in Cargin is a hall-house that had a major makeover in '70. It's basically a 13th-century body in a modern suit. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.
BallynacreggaWood · 2.2 miExplorer Tom Ballynacregga was where a fiddler played all night until the birds forgot how to fly for a week. The music is still trapped in the wood, so if you hear humming, don’t panic, it’s just the trees remembering. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.
Brigit's GardenVisitor attraction · 2.3 miExplorer Tom Brigit's Garden nearly became world-famous when a celebrity lost their phone here, but they blamed the Wi-Fi instead. Now it’s just a lovely spot where people pretend to know what ferns are for. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt.
Annaghkeen Castle (in Ruins)Castle, Anglo-Norman masonry castle · 2.4 miExplorer Tom Annaghkeen Castle in County Galway is sitting on the shore like it owns the whole bay. A Burke held it back in 1574, but I bet he just wanted a spot for his boat. Bring someone who'll believe anything.
post box2.6 miExplorer Tom The post box in Tullokyne is the subject of a local legend where a giant used to drop letters into it from the sky. The royal cipher on it looks like it’s winking at you, reminding you that Ireland was once part of the British Empire. Shout 'Post!' for good luck!
.jpg/250px-Carrownakib_Co._Galway,_Court_Tomb_(1).jpg "Photo: Wanfried-Dublin, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0")
Court tomb in CarrownakibCourt tomb · 2.7 miExplorer Tom Court tomb in Carrownakib is very ruined and has strong opinions on modern buildings. It’s just stones near Lough Corrib now. Sit on a wall near it and pretend you’re in a fancy oil painting.
Annagh WoodWood · 2.9 miExplorer Tom Annagh Wood was nearly sold for a horse back in the day, but the buyer realized the trees were too tall to fit in the stable. It’s been smug about it ever since, telling every hiker that it’s worth more than livestock, which is debatable. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.
Ross Errilly FriaryHeritage attraction · 5.0 miExplorer Tom Call Ross Errilly an abbey and somebody in Galway may forgive you, but the friars would ask where you found their abbot. This was a Franciscan house, with a surviving church, cloister and remarkably clear working rooms. Find the kitchen: it had an oven and a tank for keeping fish alive. I can barely keep a loaf from burning, so fair play to their planning. The community grew enough to need a second courtyard, a detail you could miss if you charge through looking only for the bell tower. Ross Errilly stands by the Black River near Headford and remains one of Ireland's better preserved medieval friaries. Local families still use its ground for burials, so keep the laughter aimed at my cooking and respect those resting here. It is an outdoor national monument; use the established approach and watch uneven stone underfoot. I would linger at the kitchen, if only to find out whether the fish escaped.
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