Platform rath in Knocks

Explorer Tom Golan here is the guy at the wedding who shows up late, wears the wrong hat, and stands in the corner looking confused. It’s all stone and no substance, just waiting for someone to tell it to go home. Perfect place to be dramatically windswept.

Explorer Tom Mount Darby in County Fermanagh would struggle on a reality show because it refuses to change its outfit, which is basically the same grassy suit every single day. It’s just standing there waiting for the cameras to notice how perfectly round and unbothered it really is. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Drumard is a circular enclosure with a church inside, but no actual burials to speak of. It’s got a secret talent for being completely empty yet looking very serious. Best visited with a curious kid and no timetable.

Explorer Tom Drumard House in Burdautien is wrapped in yard walls with openings that got cut short, like someone stopped mid-sentence and ran away. It’s a balanced little beast with timber sliding sash windows that probably know more gossip than the local news. The eaves look like they’re trying to hug the sky but are too shy to commit. Keep your eyes on those truncated walls; they’re weirdly charming.

Explorer Tom Battle of Newtownbutler got the map makers so confused they ended up putting the town on the wrong side of the river twice. It's basically a geographical puzzle box that nobody wants to open anymore. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.

Explorer Tom Cross in Crossmoyle is a high cross made of two parts that never really got along and are now stuck together in the Diamond. It’s got Adam, Eve, and lions on one side, and magi on the other, which is a lot of drama for one stone. There’s a hidden message if you squint, but it’s mostly just 'please stop touching me'. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom Ulster Canal Stores in Clones puts delicate crochet lace inside a sturdy limestone building that once stored goods beside the water. The pairing made me smile: a canal built to carry heavy loads has become a place to study stitches fine enough to make my clumsy fingers ask for the afternoon off. The stores date from about 1839, when the canal connected towns through the north of Ireland and moved fuel, food, livestock and flax. The restored building now houses the Clones Lace Museum. Its displays explain how the craft brought income to local families after the Great Hunger, and how makers developed and passed on their patterns. Look at the lace closely, then look back at the cut stone walls: both took patience and skilled hands. The visitor centre also tells the canal's story and includes a café and craft shop. The old waterway closed in 1931, but a restored stretch through Clones now gives visitors a towpath walk nearby. I might claim the canal boats once carried lace to every queen in Europe; the real connection between transport, local work and wider markets is interesting enough without my grand shipping forecast. The operator says the museum is free to visit and gives current contact details for group or historical tours. Check before travelling for opening information and any arranged activity. Waterways Ireland describes the accessible towpath by the restored canal, useful if you want to see where the stores originally belonged. Clones offers a good double lesson: broad waterways and tiny knots can both carry a town's history.

Explorer Tom The Cassandra Hand Centre in Monaghan is having a serious feud with the rain right now, and honestly, the building looks wetter than my socks after a day out. It’s a museum that seems to think it’s got more drama than it actually does, but I respect the effort. Stand back, squint, and it looks like a castle.

Explorer Tom European Yew in County Monaghan was planted because two lads made a bet in the pub that it would outlive their bad decisions, and so far they’re winning. It looks like it’s plotting something with those dark leaves, maybe waiting for us to get old enough to deserve its shade. If it rains, blame me, not the tree.

Explorer Tom A European ash in Monaghan watched a local romance collapse right next to its trunk without blinking. It found their excuses for being late absolutely hilarious. Take a breath of that air, it's older than your car.

Explorer Tom Galloon Island in Fermanagh would handle a nosey neighbour by growing thorns all over its main path so they trip and fall into the mud every single time they try to peek at what is going on behind the fence there today. It thinks privacy is more important than being polite, which is a fair enough stance to take when you are living in this kind of place honestly. Tell it a joke, it's been a

Explorer Tom Attack on Derryard checkpoint would handle a nosey neighbour by simply pretending it never happened at all. The whole thing is about as subtle as a shouty goat in a library, mate. Hang around long enough and you'll hear a story from a local.