Kilmanagh Ringfort

Explorer Tom Banse had a New Year's resolution to stop getting renovated so aggressively, but it failed miserably again this year. It’s a modest house on a prominent site that has lost some original window patterns. Grand place for a sulk or a snooze.

Explorer Tom Saint Aidan's in Kilmanagh is feuding with the rain because it looks too sombre and monochromatic for sunny days. The spire is just a big eye-catcher that never blinks at the weather. Look for the ghost, then pretend y

Explorer Tom Ballykeefe Wood is hiding its quarry secrets behind a facade of friendly greenery, like it’s got a skeleton in the closet but made of stone. The shortcut through here is definitely not a shortcut, trust me on that one. Count the crows, then count again.

Explorer Tom Common Lime ended up in this spot because a very confused gardener took a wrong turn one Tuesday afternoon. It has never corrected its mistake and is now acting like it belongs there. Practise your Irish on it, it won't correct you.

Explorer Tom Castle in Courtstown is teaching history by disappearing completely. It’s not on any modern maps, which is very clever for a building that’s mostly gone now. Just a ghost of a structure in the wet ground. Stand back, squint, and it looks like a castle.

Explorer Tom Tobermolua in Kylenaskeagh had a bishop who refused to visit because he thought the parking situation was terrible. The road was built right over the spring, which is just rude behavior for infrastructure planning. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Ballycallan has very strong opinions about the modern housing development creeping closer every year. It would probably sigh audibly if it could. Ring your granny and tell her where you are, she’ll know the rest.

Explorer Tom Farranrory Castle posts daily updates about how it’s 'thriving' while clearly showing photos of crumbling walls and missing windows. Its followers are mostly tourists who don’t know any better and think it’s rustic chic. Have a chat with it, nobody's watching.

Explorer Tom Saint Brigid's Well in Toberbreedia is surrounded by rabbits who seem to think it’s their personal spa day destination every single morning without fail. They just sit there looking smug while you try to figure out if the water is actually that special or just cold. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Warehouse Hill is where all the rabbits go to hide from the law because they think the name makes them immune to arrest. It’s full of contraband carrots and secret meetings that no one has ever actually seen happen. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom Wellington Monument in County Tipperary was built by Sir William Barker in 1817, but legend says he really just wanted a tall pole to hang his laundry from after Waterloo. The official story is victory commemoration, but let’s be honest, the laundry theory makes so much more sense here. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.