Queen Maedhbh

Explorer Tom Grand Canal lock is writing a very angry complaint letter to the council about how noisy the tourists are on the boat tours. It’s one of forty-three locks, but it thinks it’s the main event because it’s right next to Baggot Street. Read that complaint out loud and see if it calms down or starts flooding you with paperwork!

Explorer Tom London Plane in County Dublin has strict rules: no loud noises, no touching the bark, and definitely no asking why it looks like a zebra. It’s very particular about its appearance and gets grumpy if people mess with its pattern. Hang around long enough and you'll hear a story from a local who knows the secrets.

Explorer Tom Gates in County Dublin are iron railings with pointed tops that think they’re very fancy. They’re marking the boundary between Wilton Terrace and the Grand Canal towpath, so they’re basically just telling people where to walk and where not to.

Explorer Tom Catherine McAuley really dislikes visitors who chew gum loudly near her statue, claiming it disrupts the sacred flow of history and makes her look bad in old photographs she’s been studying. She’s got a glare that could peel paint off a wall if you stand there too long with your phone out taking a selfie. Wave at the cows, they're the real locals.

Explorer Tom Death of Brian Murphy in County Dublin is linked to the Burlington Hotel, which looks very calm now. It’s a quiet death marker. Pose like you’re checking out of a hotel while holding an invisible briefcase.

Explorer Tom Fitzwilliam Square is Dublin's smallest Georgian square, yet its middle garden behaves as if it owns the whole city. It was laid out from 1792 and finished by 1830, the last of Dublin's five Georgian squares. The central green has been enclosed since 1813 and is private to keyholders among the surrounding 69 houses. I would love to tell you I borrowed a key, but you would rightly ask whose. A proposal to rename the square for Oliver Plunkett in 1921 also came to nothing, so the old name stayed put. The public streets around it make a good walk through Georgian Dublin even when the garden gates are shut. Stay on the pavement, look at the houses and resist taking my imaginary shortcut over the railings. The best view here costs nothing and requires no key.

Explorer Tom The Irish Architectural Archive is hiding a scandal about a crooked chimney that dates back centuries, but they just call it 'character.' It’s basically a museum for people who argue about where to put their sofa in a living room. Great spot to propose. Or at least to propose lunch.

Explorer Tom Michael Collins 1890-1925 in County Dublin is another spot honoring the same big guy. It seems he had quite an impact on the area. Check out this second memorial and compare notes with the first!

Explorer Tom Statue of Surgeon-Major Parke is standing there bragging about crossing Africa without a GPS, which was basically a suicide mission in fancy boots. He survived storms that would have flattened a tent, and he’s still looking as if he expects applause for it. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look.

Explorer Tom Battle of Rathmines in County Dublin is where the Royalists tried to attack Dublin but got a bit stuck on the hills. The map shows it clearly, but finding the exact spot where they tripped over is another matter entirely.

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 Liberty Bell in St. Patrick's Park is ringing its own bell, probably because the bishop who refused to visit finally got fed up and left a passive-aggressive note. It’s not really about liberty, mate; it’s about being annoyed at everyone who walks past without saying hello or offering a snack. Go on a wet day, it suits the mood.