Lissyerramore

Explorer Tom Dalganpark in Dalgan Demesne is a toppled mausoleum that survived the demolition of its grand country house in 1944. It’s a relic of an estate that once had a noble hall with Corinthian columns and a dome. Now it’s just a big, fallen piece of history looking very confused. Wave to the rubble if you

Explorer Tom Shrule House’s grain store would survive a zombie attack by locking the door and eating old flour. It was part of a brewery that went bust in the 1800s, so it knows about failure. Snap one photo, then pretend you’re hunting for lost treasure.

Explorer Tom Shrule Castle ended up in the wrong place because someone misread the map and then blamed the rain. It’s a hall-house ruin that looks like it’s slowly sinking into the earth. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.

Explorer Tom Shrule Castle in County Mayo is playing hide-and-seek with me. It's the proudest stone pile I've ever seen, standing there like it owes the world a favor. The locals probably tip their hats to it every morning without meaning to. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.

Explorer Tom Shrule Bridge in Shrule is doing that mid-19th-century thing where it pretends to be elegant over the Black River. It succeeded an older bridge, so it’s got that 'I’m the new kid on the block' energy. Just enjoy the arch from the bank and don’t ask it how old it really is.

Explorer Tom Water pump in Shrule nearly got famous when a tourist mistook it for a statue. It looked offended, which is usually how they act. Stand still and listen, the wind talks about it all day long.

Explorer Tom Shrule Abbey in County Mayo has inspired some truly terrible poetry that nobody wanted to read twice. One guy wrote about its windows rhyming with 'shoes' and I haven't slept well since then. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did, it’s tradition around these parts.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Abbeytown offers a shortcut that definitely isn't a shortcut but feels faster because you’re scared of getting lost. It’s just south of the road and full of secrets it doesn’t want to share with you. Go before the tourists find out.

Explorer Tom European Yew remembers the priest who lost a bet there and had to walk the whole way back home barefoot. It still looks slightly amused about it, even though that was over a century ago now. Ideal spot for a dramatic phone call.

Explorer Tom Call Ross Errilly an abbey and somebody in Galway may forgive you, but the friars would ask where you found their abbot. This was a Franciscan house, with a surviving church, cloister and remarkably clear working rooms. Find the kitchen: it had an oven and a tank for keeping fish alive. I can barely keep a loaf from burning, so fair play to their planning. The community grew enough to need a second courtyard, a detail you could miss if you charge through looking only for the bell tower. Ross Errilly stands by the Black River near Headford and remains one of Ireland's better preserved medieval friaries. Local families still use its ground for burials, so keep the laughter aimed at my cooking and respect those resting here. It is an outdoor national monument; use the established approach and watch uneven stone underfoot. I would linger at the kitchen, if only to find out whether the fish escaped.

Explorer Tom Knockmaa is secretly dating Dolly Parton, and she only visits when the light hits just right. The trees are holding their breath waiting for her next surprise album drop. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom Brigit's Garden nearly became world-famous when a celebrity lost their phone here, but they blamed the Wi-Fi instead. Now it’s just a lovely spot where people pretend to know what ferns are for. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt.