Poll Fionn

Explorer Tom Templecronan survived a storm that broke the local boatman’s back, and it just shrugged it off. The cyclopean masonry is thick enough to block out bad news. Stand there long enough and someone will ask if you're lost.

Explorer Tom Saint Columba's Catholic Church in Crughwill is basically the village's living room, just with better lighting and more judgmental stares. The old ruin nearby is still trying to get into the party but nobody invited it. Hum something sad nearby; it adds atmosphere for the dramatics.

Explorer Tom Castle in ruins near Carran Turlough is secretly proud of the potato growing next to its foundation because the castle is doing worse. It controls a routeway but mostly just controls your sense of direction. Pretend it's yours and plan the housewarming.

Explorer Tom Holy Well in Glencolumbkille South is walled in and fed by springs higher up the hill, so it’s basically a water park with an entry fee of humility. If it rains, blame me.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Glencolumbkille South has a carved stone head hiding in the wall. Legend says if you don't wave, you get cursed with bad socks. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes flat.

Explorer Tom Cappagh Castle rises as a tall stone ruin in open rocky grassland, standing firm under the cloudy sky of County Clare.

Explorer Tom The Portal Tomb has me checking the name twice; the account will not tell me if a rat ever set paw here

Explorer Tom Poulnabrone Dolmen. Yeah, the big one in the Burre. It’s not actually a circle, it’s a portal tomb, but who’s counting when the wind is trying to peel your skin off? Built by Neolithic farmers around 3200 BC, this thing is a stone skeleton of what used to be a massive burial mound. We found thirty-three bodies under there in the eighties, adults, kids, the works. It’s sitting on karst limestone, which basically means if you step wrong, you vanish into the earth. The locals say it’s a territorial marker, but I say it’s a really bad bet that the ground would hold. Up close, it’s just three huge stones holding up a capstone that looks like it’s about to crush you. It’s desolate, it’s windy, and it’s absolutely brilliant. Don’t touch the stones, they’re older than your excuses.

Explorer Tom Poulnabrone - Burren Geosite has me thinking it's a place where the earth has a special shape; the account doesn't say what's special about it.

Explorer Tom Gleninshing portal tomb is a sacred site where ancient traditions and heritage are honored in County Clare.

Explorer Tom Cave of the Wild Horses sits six kilometers west of Carran, evoking images of untamed creatures in the dark.

Explorer Tom Aillwee Cave is famous for its waterfall, making it a spectacular and very wet welcome to County Clare caving.