Rath in Grattan

Explorer Tom Trasna Island makes a sound at night that sounds suspiciously like a tuba playing very badly in a dream, which keeps the locals up late. It’s basically a big rock pretending to be a home for ghosts, but really it just wants you to listen closer and make something up. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom St. Ninnidh's Rc Church in County Fermanagh claims to hold the world record for 'most pious silence,' which is a lie I just made up because it sounds cool. The name alone is a tongue-twister that deserves its own pub quiz category. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.

Explorer Tom Lady Craigavon Bridge in County Fermanagh has seen more parish arguments than a pub quiz on a Friday night. It’s just standing there smugly while everyone fights over who named it first. Have a look and decide if I was lying.

Explorer Tom Naan Island West is proud of having hosted a castle that vanished into thin air without leaving a note. It thinks this makes it mysterious rather than just messy. Go now, before it gets famous.

Explorer Tom Molly Mountain in County Fermanagh has been told by the local rabbits that she needs to stop trying so hard to be a proper mountain. She’s just a nice, soft-looking hill that wants everyone to feel comfortable sitting on her warm slopes for a while. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom Inisherk Trail would survive a zombie apocalypse by simply letting them fall off the edge into the lough below. It’s got that classic Fermanagh 'wet and wild' energy without even trying. Count the crows, then count again.

Explorer Tom Crom Castle in County Fermanagh took about four hundred thousand cups of tea to build. It’s just a castle with no specific story, so we’re making it up as we go along. I bet the architects were running on pure caffeine by the time the roof went up. Bring a friend who talks too much and let the place shut them up.

Explorer Tom Crom Estate has two castles, and one of them would prefer you kept your distance. The public grounds stretch over about 1,350 acres beside Upper Lough Erne, with woods, old trees and the ruins of an early house built in 1611. That building survived attacks but burned in the eighteenth century. A new castle rose in 1840; it remains a private home, so I will not be knocking at its door with a camera. The estate came to the National Trust in 1987, giving visitors a chance to explore the grounds and the older remains. Some ancient trees need protection from feet as well as weather, so follow signed routes and check current hours or charges. I would challenge you to count every island from the shore, but I would lose after the first bend. Walk toward the old castle and let the lough do the showing off.

Explorer Tom Two Crom Castles, one ruin. I am already at the wrong gate. Old Crom Castle is the ruined one on Lough Erne, a useful distinction because the later Crom Castle nearby is still a private home. Michael Balfour built the older stronghold in 1611, with a defensive bawn facing the water. It survived two sieges in 1689, then lost the main building to an ordinary domestic fire in 1764. If I claim to own the later house, ask for the deed before you believe another word. History has a habit of arranging a grand military escape and an awkward household ending. Two old yew trees nearby have watched much of that change, and the ruined towers and walls remain part of the wider Crom Estate. The National Trust manages the estate's public grounds, but the modern castle is private; check current paths and keep to permitted areas around the ruins. Look through the surviving stone towards the lough. This is the castle that learned the difference between surviving a siege and minding the hearth.

Explorer Tom Estate Trail, Crom is playing hard to get, dodging nosey neighbours like they’re dodging a bill. It’s got that 'I’m too good for you' vibe, so keep your distance and admire from afar. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look.

Explorer Tom Yew Trees in County Fermanagh caused a massive argument in the parish back when someone suggested they were actually two different species pretending to be friends. The whole village was split down the middle about it. Bring a jacket, because it’s never as warm as I promise it will be once you’re standing there.

Explorer Tom Crichton Tower on Gad Island at Crom in County Fermanagh has a local legend about a giant who got stuck in the window frame. It’s a tower that looks like it fell over and decided to stay that way for style points. Bring your own legend, I've run out.