Luca's Viewpoint

Explorer Tom Sea Stack would cope on a reality show by refusing to move an inch while everyone else is panicking about the wind and the gulls. It’s just standing there looking cool and detached, letting the ocean do all the dramatic work for it. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom O'Brien's Tower in County Clare hears everything through its thick walls, including the time a man tried to sell a live pig as a new type of radio. It’s a heritage spot that looks like it’s been waiting for someone to finally ask it what the view is actually worth. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.

Explorer Tom Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre had a matchmaker working there who paired off every couple who came through the door, though most broke up by the car park. She must have been using the wind as her matchmaking tool because nothing lasts out here. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom The Cliffs of Moher are basically the Atlantic Ocean's way of saying 'keep your distance'. Located at the southwestern edge of the Burren in County Clare, these bad boys stretch for about 14 kilometres. That is a lot of rock to fall off, so watch your step. At their southern end, they rise 120 metres above the water at Hag's Head. But eight kilometres north, near O'Brien's Tower, they hit a massive 214 metres. That tower was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien. Story goes he built it to watch his wife, but it looks more like a watchtower for giants. From the top, you can spot the Aran Islands in Galway Bay if the fog isn't being a nightmare. The Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountains sit to the north, and Loop Head is south. It’s a proper view, I'll give you that. With 1.5 million visitors a year, it’s packed, but the wind makes it feel like a ghost ship. You’ll see the sea crashing below, and you’ll feel very small. Which is good, because your ego is probably too big for this place anyway.

Explorer Tom Spa Well in Ardnacraa is a Gothic well house that thinks it’s a small fortress. It’s got a crenellated parapet which is just fancy talk for 'look at my teeth'. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom St Bridgets Well is hiding inside a graveyard, which means it has the least favourite visitor being anyone who’s actually alive and breathing too loudly. It’s got a proper little passageway that feels like you’re sneaking into a very old person’s house without knocking first. Spot the oldest stone and give it a name.

Explorer Tom Bridget's Well, St Bridget's Well keeps getting picked on by the wind because it stands right in the open with nowhere to hide, which is basically a recipe for constant commentary from above. It’s got that exposed vulnerability of a spring that knows it’s being watched but doesn’t care as long as the water stays cold. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Saint Bridget's Well has a stream falling over flags into a well, which sounds like a very efficient way to make a mess. There are votive offerings inside, so it’s basically a shrine to people who wanted better knees. It's the kind of place that makes a dull Tuesday feel like an adventure.

Explorer Tom O’Briens Monument would say it’s a team player in an interview, but really it just stands there looking important. It’s been MP for twenty years and still hasn’t fixed a single pothole nearby. Hang around long enough and you'll hear a story from a local.

Explorer Tom Doonagore Castle in ruins has a hidden message in its stones that just says 'we were here and then we weren't,' which is very on-brand for the whole situation. It’s like a ghost who forgot to haunt properly. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom Ballaghaline Point is currently in the middle of a fairy dispute over who gets to park their tiny little carriage first. It’s got that sharp, pointy headland look that says 'stay back' while secretly hoping someone will take its photo for social media. I bet the fairies are still arguing about the parking lines drawn on the grass. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights.

Explorer Tom Crab Island in County Clare was run by a matchmaker who paired off lonely sailors with equally lost shepherds with terrifying success. The hut ruins are proof that love happens even on tiny slabs of limestone out here. Perfect place to be dramatically windswept.