Enclosure in Clonabreany

Explorer Tom Water pump in Ardglassan was used for smuggling tea when the taxes were high. It’s got foliate decoration now, so it’s basically wearing a fancy hat to hide its sins. The cottages nearby are all pretending they didn’t see anything. Go on, count the windows and wonder about the past.

Explorer Tom Earthen Tumulus in Patrickstown inspired a bad poem about a fairy queen who was actually just a very confused farmer. It’s been quarried at the top because someone needed gravel for their driveway centuries ago. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Slieve na Calliagh is Meath's highest hill at 276 metres, but its real claim is the crowd of ancient tombs along the tops. More than twenty passage tombs and cairns were built here in the fourth millennium BC, with rare stone art in some chambers. Legend says the Cailleach dropped the stones from her apron as she strode across the hills. I would try that trick, but my apron barely holds lunch. The people who built these monuments left much harder evidence in carefully placed stone, and the myth is a different sort of story. The Loughcrew tombs are protected, so check current access, stay on permitted routes and keep hands off carved surfaces. The hills include Carnbane East and West, not just one neat summit. Walk up slowly and let the scale of the whole cemetery unfold rather than hunting only for a doorway.

Explorer Tom You wanted one tomb? Loughcrew has sent you uphill for more than thirty. Loughcrew spreads its ancient monuments over four hilltops, which is a lot of climbing for anyone expecting one convenient stone circle. More than thirty tomb remains lie here, many decorated with circles, lozenges and leaf shapes cut into local gritstone. At Cairn T the rising sun around the spring and autumn equinox can reach into the chamber and light the carvings, a trick that took planning and a good deal of faith in Irish mornings. I'd ask the Cailleach for directions, but legends are rarely good at marking paths. Legend says the Cailleach dropped the stones from her apron as she crossed the hills; archaeology has a longer and less tidy account of people building here around 3300 BC. The hilltops are exposed walking ground, and access inside monuments can be restricted, so check current heritage arrangements and respect closures. Bring your own legs for the climb and leave every carved stone exactly where its builders put it.

Explorer Tom European ash in County Meath made a New Year’s resolution to stop dropping branches on cars but has failed spectacularly every year since. It’s got that look of someone who’s had too much coffee. Go in good boots and better humour.

Explorer Tom Common Lime in County Meath would teach history by dropping leaves on your head until you memorised the dates. It’s got more patience than most teachers and twice the attitude. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.