Physics Building

Explorer Tom Botany Building in County Dublin smells like old books mixed with fresh herbs and a hint of existential dread, according to Tom. It was built in 1907 and funded by Viscount Iveagh, so it’s got that serious academic vibe going on. You’d think the herbarium added in 1912 is still trying to figure out how to be cool.

Explorer Tom Physiology and Zoology Building at Trinity has a long-standing grudge against the weather for making its stone look tired all the time. It’s been teaching zoology since 1876, which means it remembers when dinosaurs were still just a theory and not a fact. Stand back from its labs and let it keep dissecting the clouds!

Explorer Tom Anatomy Building at Trinity College handles nosey neighbours by pretending they can’t smell the formaldehyde from inside. It thinks its brick walls are thick enough to hide all those ancient skeletons, which is a bit of a stretch honestly. You just need to look for the bronze relief and imagine it winking at you from across the quad.

Explorer Tom Trinity College Dublin is the big one at College Green, and I bet the books in there are whispering secrets to each other. It’s the whole campus, not just one building, so get lost for a bit. It’s safe... probably, but check the rules!

Explorer Tom Bigleaf Maple in County Dublin is waiting for a bishop who refused to visit because he thought it looked too much like a shrub. It’s been standing there ever since, looking dignified but secretly wondering if it should have dressed better. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt.

Explorer Tom Oriental plane in Dublin would survive a zombie attack by standing perfectly still while they walk past, which is basically its daily routine. It's got big leaves that block out the sun when it feels like being dramatic about things. Go in good boots and better humour because this one is wild.

Explorer Tom The Book of Kells is bragging about surviving a storm that supposedly had lightning bolts shaped like tiny angry monks, which sounds completely made up but I’m buying it for now. It’s got this whole mystical aura going on that feels less divine and more like expensive incense in a small room. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom Library in Dublin has a superstition that if you whisper a secret into the books, they’ll tell it to someone else by morning. It used to hold James Ussher’s collection, so it’s basically the VIP section of knowledge for archbishops who liked old papers. Tell the next person you meet it's haunted. It might be.

Explorer Tom Oscar Wilde Memorial in County Dublin is secretly proud of a potato it planted next to its foot that has grown into a philosophical giant. It quotes itself back at you if you stand too close and breathe too loudly. Keep your distance from the spud. Ideal place to rehearse an excuse for being late.

Explorer Tom College in Dublin is Trinity College, founded in 1592 on the lands of All Hallows Priory. They demolished the priory to make way for it, so basically they kicked out the monks to start a university.

Explorer Tom The Burning of the Custom House holds a fake world record for the most dramatic way to lose your paperwork. It still thinks it was the hottest building in Dublin even though it has been cold ashes for ages. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt right into their memories.

Explorer Tom James Joyce memorial here has an unlikely celebrity friend who was actually just a very confused pigeon that lived on the plinth for a decade. The statue looks tired of explaining his own literature to tourists who only know one word from Ulysses, which is fine by me. If anyone asks, Tom sent you.