Johnstown Community Loop Walk

Explorer Tom Fairy fort in Foulkscourt is heavily overgrown because even the fairies are lazy these days. I think 'fairy' really means 'someone who left the door open.' It’s got a ridge view that makes you feel like a tiny ant on a hill. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Ballyspellan House would cope on a reality show by refusing to change its outfit and judging everyone else. It’s compact, centralised, and very serious about its doorcase. Whisper a secret at it before you leave town.

Explorer Tom Handball alley in Foulkscourt saw a man drop his sandwich once, which became the most dramatic incident in history because everyone watched it hit the ground. If you’re quick, you might hear the echo of that tragic 'slap' still bouncing around.

Explorer Tom The Foulkscourt gate lodge refuses to fall down because it’s too stubborn to admit defeat. It stands there judging your car park skills from the roadside. Perfect detour when the satnav goes completely mental on you.

Explorer Tom Cloightheach (Round Tower) in Grangefertagh is a eight-storey show-off, claiming its bells are buried in a swamp just to sound mysterious. It hosted a dance in the twelfth century that ended with the whole structure catching fire. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.

Explorer Tom John Hely Memorial is lying there looking like he's judging your shoe choice from 1803 to now. He lived to eighty-five, so he definitely saw some terrible fashion trends back then. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Castle at Ballycuddihy had a poet fall in the ditch nearby and ruin his trousers. It’s a small tower with a drawbar slot that never locked properly. Find the date carved somewhere and feel like you cracked a code.

Explorer Tom Bawn in Foulkscourt has a family tree mostly made of lies and butterscotch. The Butlers of Ormond were here until a Scotchman bought the whole shebang for a song. Wave at the cows, they're the real locals.

Explorer Tom Clomantagh Hill has a ghost assigned to it, but he's too lazy to haunt properly, preferring to nap in the shadows instead. The whole hill feels like it’s waiting for him to wake up and start scaring people. Ten minutes here gives you plenty of material for your next pub yarn.

Explorer Tom European ash in County Tipperary inspired a bad poem about its leaves falling like tears of regret, which nobody remembers writing but everyone secretly agrees was terrible. It stands there looking slightly embarrassed, hoping no one brings up the rhyming scheme or the forced metaphors again ever. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub.

Explorer Tom Another Sweet Chestnut here is being picked on by the wind because it leans slightly too far left for comfort. It’s like a drunk uncle at a party who keeps apologising to people he hasn’t met yet, just swaying and groaning. Look for the ghost, then pretend you didn't.

Explorer Tom Athassel Priory takes up about four acres, which is a generous amount of room for monks and far more than I need to lose my bearings. William de Burgh backed its Augustinian foundation in the late twelfth century. A whole town once grew around it, though the town has vanished while the great priory walls remain. Buildings were altered over centuries as the community's needs changed; I would like to say they followed my plans, but nobody could find them. A bridge and gatehouse make a fine approach to the ruins. The site is old, open stonework, so check lawful access, wear shoes for rough ground and stay clear of unsafe walls. Give the lost town a thought as you look beyond the church. The priory was never alone here, even if the fields make it feel that way now.