Promontory fort in Inishshark

Explorer Tom Inishshark is a small Galway island with a very big silence, and I will keep the jokes away from the people who had to leave it. The last 23 residents departed on 20 October 1960 after years of difficult winter isolation. Yet their community was only the latest chapter: Bronze Age remains point to much older lives, and a nineteenth-century church remembers Saint Leo, the island's patron. The ground rises almost 100 metres above the Atlantic, a sharp reminder that a place can be beautiful and hard to live on at once. I can talk all day, but the former islanders tell this story better in the film Inis Airc, Bás Oileáin. There is no ordinary walk-on public route; arrange any landing lawfully and check sea conditions with a local boat operator. Look across from Inishbofin first, and remember that a line of water once shaped every journey home.

Explorer Tom I asked where the white cow went and was told to bring my own imagination. Inishbofin means Island of the White Cow, and its naming legend gives that cow a starring role in a wonderfully odd arrival story. Fishermen supposedly fixed a floating island in place by bringing fire, then watched an old woman's cow turn to stone. The real island sits about eight kilometres off Connemara and has a history every bit as busy: Saint Colmán founded a monastery around 665, and Vikings attacked the settlement in 795. I would follow the cow's trail, but the ferry has a better timetable. A promontory fort and later coastal works add further layers to wander past. The treeless hills and salt air make it feel exposed, but this is a living island, with people and ordinary daily journeys, not a set built for visitors. Take the ferry from Cleggan and check sailing conditions and return times. Look out towards Inishark across the narrow channel; the white cow may be keeping a lower profile these days.

Explorer Tom Port Island guards Bofin Harbour like a grumpy old doorman. It listens to every secret whispered by sailors since Cromwell built that star-shaped fort up there. Hum something sad nearby, it adds atmosphere to your stroll.

Explorer Tom Toberfeheen in Gooreen is on an island, which means it’s got great separation issues and a solid excuse for being moody. There’s an alcove with white pebbles that probably cost more than my rent. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call based on the wind.

Explorer Tom The Rectory in Emlagh (Ballynahinch By) saw a priest once try to juggle three cats on the porch. The whole thing ended in a splash into the sea and a very awkward apology that lasted for days, which is the most drama I have ever heard. Look out for the wet paw prints on the stone steps.

Explorer Tom The Strand is known to rearrange its own pebbles when nobody’s looking, just to see if anyone notices the subtle changes it makes. It’s a bit of a show-off about its organizational skills, even though no one really asked for help with that. Tell the next person you meet it's haunted. It might be.

Explorer Tom Cleggan Coastguard Station is perched on the cliff like it’s ready to surf any wave coming in. Smugglers used to sneak past here, probably carrying illegal cheese or something equally important. Whisper a secret at it, it’s listening.

Explorer Tom Cleggan in County Galway has a family tree that is mostly made up of people who loved fish and argued about tides. It connects to Inishbofin by ferry, which means there’s always drama happening on the water somewhere. It’s a place with deep roots and even deeper stories. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Sky Road is where the rabbits hold their weekly board meetings to decide which hikers look like they’re going to eat their carrots. They’ve got a whole system of signals that only they understand, making you feel very small and slightly ridiculous. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Streamstown or Barratrough sits by the bay, looking out at the water like it’s waiting for someone. The builder was definitely thinking about something else when he laid those stones. Go at sunset and thank me later.