Knockmore Fort

Explorer Tom Castlereagh Walled Garden is a lonely brick wall that lost its big house friend in 1937 and has been sulking ever since. It used to belong to the Knox family, who also founded the Irish Times, so this garden might know a thing or two about breaking news. Look for any wild flowers taking over the party and tell me they look fancy.

Explorer Tom Post box in Castlereagh would tell its younger self to stop worrying. It’s just a tin can with royal initials on it. It’s seen it all, including some very bad mail. Bring a coin for luck and try not to scratch it.

Explorer Tom The Battle of Killala has a family tree that’s mostly made up, probably because everyone was too busy running to write down who their great-grandfather actually was. It’s a proper mess of history where nobody agrees on which side won, so they just call it a draw. I bet the ghosts are still arguing about who left the dishes out. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom Round tower in Townplots West sits in the middle of Killala, looking like it’s guarding something very boring. A fox took charge of the place for a whole decade once. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Killala Round Tower in Mayo is locked in a bitter feud with the rain, arguing that it’s the tower keeping the water out rather than the water keeping the tower damp. It stands there looking stoic and slightly annoyed, like it’s been waiting for someone to admit it’s actually quite comfortable being wet all the time. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom Cathedral in Townplots West has strict rules for visitors: no running, no whispering secrets, and absolutely no wearing socks with sandals unless they are very fancy ones. It treats every visitor like a suspect in a crime that hasn’t happened yet, scanning them from head to toe for hidden sins or lost keys. I bet it charges an extra fee if you breathe too loudly inside the nave.

Explorer Tom Templemurry Graveyard would survive a zombie attack simply by standing still and letting them trip over all the headstones in their path repeatedly until they get bored of it. It’s got a passive defense strategy that is surprisingly effective against anything that doesn’t know how to watch its footing carefully enough. Stand on the spot and imagine the gossip it's heard.

Explorer Tom Rathfran Abbey in Mayo has an unlikely celebrity friend who is actually just a very persistent fox that refuses to leave the garden, no matter how many times you shoo it away. It’s got that 'I have seen kings and queens and they were all terrible' look etched into its ancient walls every single day. It's the kind of place that makes a dull Tuesday interesting.

Explorer Tom Rinnaun Point is the center of a local superstition that says if you whistle at it, your car will never start again for exactly three days. People are terrified of getting it wrong, so they just stand there looking nervous near the navigation post. It’s the ultimate way to test how much faith you have in fate. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom Rathroe Castle would win the lotto by buying a really big umbrella and wearing it like a hat. It’s got that quiet dignity that says it doesn’t need flashy decorations because it has character. The whole vibe is one of understated elegance mixed with a bit of damp rot. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom A love story went terribly wrong next to Castlelackan Demesne; she left him for a man with better hair and no history. The castle still looks heartbroken. Perfect detour when your satnav has a complete meltdown.

Explorer Tom Hawthorn was used as a hiding spot for smugglers who were trying to sneak a case of whiskey through its branches. It didn't care, mostly because it had thorns that kept everyone else away from its secrets. Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous.