Post box in Pottlereagh

Explorer Tom Bridge in Pottlereagh goes clack-clack at night like a ghost doing its best impression of a train. It’s got that old railway swagger baked right into the brick. Sit on a wall near it and pretend you own the place.

Explorer Tom Virginia Road Railway Station was designed by a mother-in-law who insisted on limestone dressings because she wanted the train drivers to fear her. The canopy is lovely, but I bet it smells like old tea and disappointment from all those missed departures. Take a breath of that a bit of history.

Explorer Tom Hawthorn in Meath has thorns sharp enough to survive any zombie attack without breaking a sweat. It’s the ultimate defense mechanism, looking prickly but actually quite welcoming if you’re brave enough. Stand still and listen, the wind tells it better than me.

Explorer Tom Cross in Castlekeeran is guarded by a dog who demands a biscuit before you even blink. The interlace is basically just squiggles if you look hard enough. Great spot to propose. Or at least to propose lunch.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Castlekeeran would bring a Viking helmet to any party just to keep people on their toes. It’s seen looters twice and still stands there with three high crosses looking like they’re judging your outfit. Best seen with a hangover and a sausage roll.

Explorer Tom Earthen Tumulus in Patrickstown inspired a bad poem about a fairy queen who was actually just a very confused farmer. It’s been quarried at the top because someone needed gravel for their driveway centuries ago. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Island holds a fake world record for being the most confused geographical feature in all of County Cavan right now. It doesn’t even know if it’s an island, a peak, or just a very large puddle with ambitions. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Slieve na Calliagh is Meath's highest hill at 276 metres, but its real claim is the crowd of ancient tombs along the tops. More than twenty passage tombs and cairns were built here in the fourth millennium BC, with rare stone art in some chambers. Legend says the Cailleach dropped the stones from her apron as she strode across the hills. I would try that trick, but my apron barely holds lunch. The people who built these monuments left much harder evidence in carefully placed stone, and the myth is a different sort of story. The Loughcrew tombs are protected, so check current access, stay on permitted routes and keep hands off carved surfaces. The hills include Carnbane East and West, not just one neat summit. Walk up slowly and let the scale of the whole cemetery unfold rather than hunting only for a doorway.

Explorer Tom You wanted one tomb? Loughcrew has sent you uphill for more than thirty. Loughcrew spreads its ancient monuments over four hilltops, which is a lot of climbing for anyone expecting one convenient stone circle. More than thirty tomb remains lie here, many decorated with circles, lozenges and leaf shapes cut into local gritstone. At Cairn T the rising sun around the spring and autumn equinox can reach into the chamber and light the carvings, a trick that took planning and a good deal of faith in Irish mornings. I'd ask the Cailleach for directions, but legends are rarely good at marking paths. Legend says the Cailleach dropped the stones from her apron as she crossed the hills; archaeology has a longer and less tidy account of people building here around 3300 BC. The hilltops are exposed walking ground, and access inside monuments can be restricted, so check current heritage arrangements and respect closures. Bring your own legs for the climb and leave every carved stone exactly where its builders put it.

Explorer Tom Loughcrew is a megalithic tomb cemetery on Slieve na Calliagh, which sounds like a place where the stones are just hanging out and judging your fashion choices. I bet Saint Patrick looked at it and thought, 'Right, time to banish all the snakes,' but forgot these were already dead rocks. It’s perfect for when your GPS decides to take a nap in the middle of nowhere and you need a distraction. P

Explorer Tom The Cailleach: Loughcrew says she made these cairns by dropping stones out of her apron as she leapt from hill to hill. I lose a few coins and get annoyed; she loses a whole skyline. The cairns are real, and that apron is wonderfully outrageous.

Explorer Tom Sessile Oak in County Cavan is playing hide-and-seek with me. I bet it’s hiding because it knows you’re not bringing a ladder. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination, even if the leaves are judging your outfit.