Michelle Smith

Explorer Tom St. Bridgets Well: The water is piped into a roadside basin below road level. A flight of steps leads down to drink from Saint Brigid’s gift.

Explorer Tom Glebe House in Rathcoole was designed by an architect named Cummin, who had well-known probity. It’s a U-shaped school from seventeen forty-four that closed way back in eighteen twenty-six.

Explorer Tom Post box in Rathcoole is playing dress-up, looking ancient while actually being a posh 1990s arrival. It stands on Main Street pretending to be from the old days. Tell it I said its uniform needs ironing before taking a photo!

Explorer Tom Inniscara Gallery in County Dublin shows off architecture that looks like it was designed by someone who hated corners. Take a picture of the weird angles before you lose your mind.

Explorer Tom Rathcoole was a proper borough back in 1242 with sixty-six burgesses. They had a triangular marketplace which sounds like a very efficient place to sell cheese. See if any of the old streets survive.

Explorer Tom Rathcoole Woodland in County Dublin has a walking map nearby. The wood itself is just standing there looking confused. Take a photo if you get lost.

Explorer Tom Meadow Wildlife claims to have bugs and birds, which is a bold claim in Dublin. I bet there’s more pigeons than anything else, but hey, live and learn.

Explorer Tom Colmanstown Castle was demolished in 1960, leaving only a gateway pier that survived into the early seventies before disappearing.

Explorer Tom Athgoe Hill in County Dublin is just a hill with a house and castle nearby. It sounds impressive, but it’s really just a bump in the landscape pretending to be something more important than your average suburban slope.

Explorer Tom In Newcastle South, this square tower house features a stair turret and dressed quoins, standing as a silent urban guardian.

Explorer Tom European Yew number three in County Dublin is still there, judging your life choices. It's ancient and unimpressed by your touristy enthusiasm. Wave at it anyway.

Explorer Tom Saint Finian's Well in County Dublin is guarded by a chapel that looks suspiciously like a photo from Wikipedia. It’s probably full of holy water and questionable history. Don’t get your feet wet, you’ll regret it later!