Man-made underground passage in Marshes Upper

Explorer Tom Dundalk Institute of Technology was originally a tobacco factory designed by Ronnie Tallon, and it still looks like it could smoke a cigarette while grading your papers in that sleek Miesian style. It’s got an unlikely celebrity friend in the form of modernist confidence, so just appreciate the low sleek building from afar.

Explorer Tom The Manse in Marshes Upper nearly made the news for that tinted glass window. It’s sitting pretty on Dundalk’s outskirts with a fine doorcase and zero chill. Bring a camera and your most intrigued face.

Explorer Tom Louth County Museum is probably hiding a secret lotto ticket behind one of its dusty exhibits right now, dreaming of buying a bigger building. If it won the jackpot, it’d likely buy another shelf for more stuff. Go at sunset and thank me later.

Explorer Tom Kellys Monument describes itself to strangers as 'a very important rock that happens to have words on it', which is the most honest introduction I’ve heard all day. It’s standing there looking proud, probably thinking about how many people have walked past without even glancing up at its fancy letters. Go at sunset and thank me later.

Explorer Tom Maid of Erin isn’t actually a maid; she’s just a very dramatic statue pretending to be pure while judging your outfit from the corner. The name really means 'The Lady Who Forgot Her Wallet in 1798'. Look for the ghost, then pretend you didn't.

Explorer Tom Franciscan Bell Tower from the 1240s has one favorite song: the sound of wind whistling through its empty hole, which sounds exactly like a ghost clearing its throat. The rest of the friary is gone, leaving just this lonely tower standing there like it forgot its date with history. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom Dundalk Central in County Louth would be the uncle at a wedding who knows all the train schedules but forgets his own name every time someone asks. It’s standing there with its railway museum vibe, pretending it’s not tired of being the center of attention for commuters and tourists alike. Have a look and decide if I was lying to you.

Explorer Tom Greenore Point handles its nosey neighbours by simply ignoring them and pointing at the mountains across the water instead. It has seen enough boats to know when someone is just gawking without a clue about tides. Go now, before it gets famous.

Explorer Tom Castletown Motte has squeezed a fort, an underground passage and a rich man's folly onto one Dundalk hill. No wonder it looks busy. The great earth mound measures about 68 metres across at the base and rises around ten metres, commanding the Castletown River. Before the later castle works, a 17-metre Z-shaped underground passage had been cut into the hill. Legend places Cú Chulainn here, but the legend cannot date the earth under your feet. In 1780 Patrick Byrne began a Gothic house on top; its surviving tower picked up the name Byrne's Folly. I would ask him why he built on such a complicated foundation, but his answer has not lasted. This is a protected monument, so check the public approach, stay clear of unstable remains and keep off closed ground. From below, try counting the centuries stacked on one mound.

Explorer Tom Castle in Castletown ended up here because Richard Bellew got confused about which side of town was cool. It’s a tower house that looks like it’s judging your outfit choices. Ring your granny and tell her where you are.

Explorer Tom The Battle of Faughart happened here in 1318, and its least favourite visitor is definitely anyone bringing a picnic basket. Bruce’s army lost, so the ground feels a bit vindictive about it all. Perfect place to be dramatically windswept.

Explorer Tom The Round Mountain has an unlikely celebrity friend who visits every year to hide from their ex. It’s basically the world’s most boring celebrity hotspot, which is exactly what makes it special. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.