Kiltola graveyard

Explorer Tom Dromore Castle would review its visitors as 'adequate' because they all stand by the nature reserve car park and take the same exact photo from the same angle every single time. It’s sitting on the edge of Dromore Lough looking unimpressed by your enthusiasm for its reed-fringed inlet surroundings. Stand back, squint, and it looks like a castle.

Explorer Tom Dromore Castle used to be on an island, which sounds like a very expensive holiday home. Teige built it, probably while arguing about who gets the best chair. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub that lasts all night.

Explorer Tom Kelly Mausoleum is from 1882 and has an octagonal shaft with a conical cap that looks like a giant pencil sharpener. It’s got stepped buttresses that are purely for dramatic effect, probably to scare off raccoons. Go at sunset and thank me later when the shadows make it look even spookier.

Explorer Tom Mausoleum in Portlecka has the local sheep giving it two thumbs down because they think it blocks their view of the good grass. It’s just a tomb for a Master of the Rolls who probably didn't know what a sheep was. Tell it a joke, it's been a long time since anyone did.

Explorer Tom Giants Grave in Caheraphuca is named after a giant who probably just needed a nap but got stuck instead. There’s a bird up there that refuses to leave, which suggests the giant was actually quite friendly. Take a breath of that air, it’s older than your car, trust me.

Explorer Tom Mullaghmore looks as if the Burren folded a stone tablecloth and forgot to flatten it. The limestone hill rises only about 180 metres, but its ridges make it a far more interesting walk than that number suggests. A marked loop takes you into the national park landscape. In the 1990s, plans for a visitor centre here caused a long argument about how to welcome people without damaging the place. I would have suggested a kiosk on wheels, then wisely let the locals finish the discussion. The hill itself remains the main attraction. Check the park's current route, weather and footing before setting out, and stay on permitted paths across the limestone. Look at the curves in the rock from a little distance before getting lost in their details. Mullaghmore has no need for a building to explain itself.

Explorer Tom Burren National Park in County Clare looks at Dublin tourists like they’re flies that wandered into a very fancy kitchen. It’s all about the rocks and the weird flowers, not your fancy city shoes. Bring wellies and low expectations, leave delighted.

Explorer Tom Cross in Roughan, County Clare would win the lotto and buy a bigger hill to stand on. It’s currently just a fragment leaning against another cross, looking like it’s taking a break from work. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom European ash in County Clare was once used for smuggling whiskey, with bottles hidden inside its hollow trunk where no customs officer could ever find them. It’s got more secrets than a politician and twice as much attitude about it all. Find the date carved somewhere and feel clever.

Explorer Tom This other Killone Abbey is having a serious drama with the nearest tree, claiming the roots are trying to steal its foundation. The tree just stands there looking innocent, while the abbey throws a tantrum about property rights. Go back in winter, it's a different animal.

Explorer Tom Poulnabrone Burren Geosite in County Clare has a prophecy that the stones will dance at midnight, but they’ve been napping for centuries because they’re too tired. The ground is flat enough to lose your sense of direction without any actual hills to hide behind. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.

Explorer Tom The Monastery of St. Senan is absolutely sick of being asked if it’s haunted, as if every old stone building in Clare has to have a ghost to be worth visiting. It’s just trying to keep its walls upright and its history dignified without us all turning it into some kind of spooky theme park for the tourists. Stick around for the light