Mweenish Island

Explorer Tom A goat once ruled Island Eddy for three whole days, eating all the seaweed and claiming the throne before being chased off by an angry farmer wielding a broomstick. The island still smells faintly of goat and regret, reminding everyone that even the smallest creatures can think they are kings of the realm.

Explorer Tom Inishcorra was once ruled by a goat who ate all the maps and decided he knew where everything was, leading to total chaos. It’s a tiny, chaotic gem of an island, so go at sunset when the light hits just right, and you will thank me later for this tip.

Explorer Tom Bridge in Tawin East was built by someone who just thought, 'yeah, connect these two bits.' Now Tawin Island isn't so lonely anymore thanks to this chunk of stone. It’s like a very sturdy phone line for the countryside.

Explorer Tom Seagal is where a love story went badly wrong because one partner couldn't agree on whether the attic was cozy or cramped. The thick walls keep the drama contained nicely inside, so you don’t have to hear about it. Have a look at those tiny windows.

Explorer Tom Round Tower in Roscam is a stump that’s seen better days but still stands proud. It’s got four floors of history hidden inside the rubble. Whisper a secret at it, it's kept worse ones than yours for centuries.

Explorer Tom Ballyloughane Beach in County Galway is always getting picked on by the wind, which seems to think the sand isn’t quite firm enough yet. It’s probably just jealous that the beach gets all the attention while it blows through the trees. Stand there long enough and someone will ask if you're lost.

Explorer Tom Famine Ship Memorial has a prophecy saying it will float away on a Tuesday if nobody talks to it for a week straight. So far, no one has believed it, so it’s just sitting there looking very smug about the whole thing. Give it a pat on the way past, it's had a long life.

Explorer Tom Merlin Park Castle sounds as if a wizard should pop out of the doorway, and I would buy the ticket if one did. The real tower house east of Galway dates to the fifteenth or sixteenth century. The Lynch family held it in the sixteenth, and people lived there into the mid-nineteenth. It was also called Doughiske Castle before the modern name stuck. A surviving fragment of a sheela na gig carving is recorded on the second floor, a detail to know without attempting to scramble inside. This is a protected old building near hospital grounds, so check lawful public access and keep out of unsafe masonry. View its shape from safe ground. The castle needed no spell to remain standing through all those changes of name and neighbour.

Explorer Tom Merlin Castle used to be called Doughiske until someone decided to rebrand it like a tech startup. It’s well-preserved and full of spiral stairs that will ruin your knees. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Galway City Museum began with old city stones, which is a sounder foundation than the stories I usually start with. Artist Clare Sheridan acquired medieval pieces that helped form the first collection. The museum began in 1976, then moved into a purpose-built home by the Spanish Arch in 2007. The Corrib runs nearby, and the arch recalls Galway's former defensive wall, so the city outside is part of the lesson. I would claim to know every stone's original address, but I would need the museum labels to save me. Exhibitions change, covering Galway lives well beyond the medieval period. Check current hours and any ticket arrangements before visiting, and allow time for the riverfront afterward. Stand between building and arch. It is a fine place to ask what a city decides to keep.

Explorer Tom I was ready to tell you a Spanish fleet story. Galway made me check the wall. Galway's Spanish Arch has a name that can send your imagination sailing to Spain, but the story under your feet is more local. The surviving arches stand in the old wall by the River Corrib. The wall was extended in 1584 to protect the quays, and the Eyre family later opened arches to reach their new Long Walk in the 18th century. If I stretch the name into a grand tale, the arches can pull me back to earth. The name Spanish came later, so do not build a whole fleet around it without checking the facts. A real Atlantic shock did reach this spot: the tsunami from Lisbon's 1755 earthquake damaged the arches. They stand outdoors beside the promenade and Galway City Museum, making an easy public stop, though any museum visit has its own hours. Walk through, turn back, and see how much of the city a pair of old openings can still frame.

Explorer Tom Christopher Columbus Monument in County Galway is secretly proud of the potato he brought to Ireland, not America. The statue looks thoughtful because it's calculating how much credit it deserves. Bring wellies and low expectations, leave delighted.