National Monument

Explorer Tom Bank of Scotland in Cork City is friends with a famous actor who only visits to hide his car. It’s an imposing building on the riverside, so it’s got status. Sit on a bench and pretend you’re waiting for a star.

Explorer Tom Post box in Cork City on Grand Parade is an Edwardian pillar from 1905 that’s still doing its job while everyone else forgets how mail works. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap with the letters inside.

Explorer Tom Fire Station on Sullivan's Quay is a substantial late nineteenth-century former fire house that closes the axis with Grand Parade. It’s prominent enough to command attention without trying too hard. Saint Patrick would have loved the fire extinguishers here.

Explorer Tom Cork City Library on Grand Parade has an ashlar façade that looks like it swallowed a chandelier. It’s a twentieth-century show-off with carved details that probably think they’re royalty. If you hear a smuggling story, just nod and say 'yeah, right.'

Explorer Tom Christian Brothers' Schools in Cork City is hiding behind its fancy shops from 1828. Samuel Francis Hynes designed it in 1905, so pretend you’re just window shopping and not sneaking a peek at the history books!

Explorer Tom Church or chapel in Cork City is playing dress-up on Blackmore Lane. It’s got a Georgian flair but keeps getting rebuilt like it can’t make up its mind. If you see a ghost complaining about the terrace, tell them Tom said hi.

Explorer Tom Berwick Fountain in Cork City was built in 1860 to remember the great kindness shown by the people of Cork to Walter Berwick. It marks the site where Tuckey’s Bridge used to stand, which is a bit like replacing a bridge with a statue of gratitude. The map makers got it wrong because they thought the water would flow upwards.

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.

Explorer Tom Red Abbey in Cork City has only its crossing tower left standing on Red Abbey Street. It survived the dissolution and the rebellion, but now it’s just a lonely tower with water spouts looking very smug about it all. Snap one for me if you see it!

Explorer Tom Elizabeth Fort was built to defend Cork, and Cork people promptly knocked the first version down. Sir George Carew began the timber-and-earth work in 1601 on high ground beyond the old city walls. Citizens demolished it in 1603 amid political fears, and the fort had to be rebuilt. Since then it has taken turns as barracks, prison and police station; I could suggest it apply for a quieter job next. Its star-shaped walls became a regular public attraction in 2014, giving you a view over streets that eventually grew around the once-outside fort. There had even been an older church on the hill before the defensive works. Check today's visiting hours and any restrictions before climbing the walls, and keep to the permitted walkways. From up there, ask whether you would have trusted this fort as a neighbour in 1603.

Explorer Tom Elizabeth Fort (Disused) (1949-50) is a stone beast in Cork City that survived Cromwell and Queen Elizabeth’s fancy plans. The citizens actually demolished it once because they were paranoid it’d be used against them, which is very on-brand for history. Check out those limestone blocks!

Explorer Tom Lavitts Quay is a memorial where, legend has it, a goat once ruled the harbour by eating all the navigation charts before the tide came in. Now it’s just rocks and stories, but if you look closely, you can still see the hoofprints of that terrible beast. Bring your worst joke, the place has heard worse.