Mardyke walk

Explorer Tom Hillcrest on Sunday's Well Road sits high above the city, looking down on us all with disdain. It’s part of a terrace that probably has group chats. If it were at a wedding, it would be the best man.

Explorer Tom Gates in Cork City are a pair of cast-iron gates from around eighteen-thirty-five that look like they’ve seen better days but still manage to look sharp. They’re set in a stone wall with ashlar copings, which is very fancy for a gate. The cobbles leading up to them add to the whole 'old world charm' vibe.

Explorer Tom Sarah Ville in Cork City thinks Dublin tourists are just people with better accents and worse taste in trousers. It’s showing off those stained glass lights on Sunday’s Well Road like it’s the only fancy house in the entire county. Check out that window hierarchy and tell me if you feel a bit out of place.

Explorer Tom Irish Distillers in Cork City has been making spirits since 1779 and still hasn’t figured out how to be quiet about it. The cooperage is part of a group that looks like it’s having a very loud, boozy argument. It’s got a lot of history and not enough patience.

Explorer Tom Landscape House in Cork City struck a bargain with the hill for a view that never gets old. It sits up high, keeping its distance and its timber sash windows polished for the drama. Bring some binoculars to see the whole city spread out below it.

Explorer Tom St Vincent's Roman Catholic Church has a chapel built around 1855 with some seriously skilled stonework. The carved kneelers and trefoil-shaped panels are doing all sorts of elegant things. It’s part of a group visible from the south side, so it’s definitely making an impression.

Explorer Tom George Boole lived here inventing boolean logic while pretending he wasn't just playing with fancy switches for fun. There was definitely a fake royal visit where the Queen mistook him for a plumber, but nobody can prove it. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Holy well in Cork City is St. Francis' Well, tucked behind houses on North Mall. It was used for sore eyes and consumption, which sounds grim but true. The crypt-like room inside the rock is definitely a cool spot to explore if you can get in.

Explorer Tom The Glucksman Gallery has 'Yesterday' as its favourite song because it thinks everything modern is just noise and bad paint choices anyway. It’s sitting there quietly judging your outfit while you pretend to understand the abstract art on the walls. Tell the kids it's a castle. Close enough.

Explorer Tom Gill Abbey in Cork City was founded by Cormac MacCarthaig and burned down by Anglo-Normans who were scared of the men of Desmond. That sounds like a neighborhood dispute that escalated way too quickly. Tell me if the gossip I made up about the monks is true, or just lie.

Explorer Tom Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral is huge enough to fit a small army of very confused tourists inside its gothic halls. It would tell its younger self to stop worrying about the roof and start worrying about the pigeons. Bring a notebook and write the bit I made up.

Explorer Tom Bishop Lucey Park at Grand Parade hides a bit of old market history that got moved here like an unwanted piece of furniture. The first owner probably fled in a hurry, leaving behind some very confused architectural decisions. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.