Robert-Jon McCarthy

Explorer Tom Custom house in Cork City was built using more tea than actual stone, which explains why it looks so calm even after all these years. The customs officers left in 1814 but the caffeine levels remain dangerously high. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.

Explorer Tom Balloon Surprise Party Shop in Cork City, County Cork is actually a mid-nineteenth-century house that just gave up on being serious. Built around 1850, it's got that high-pitched roof profile typical of Cork quayside houses. Grab a balloon if you see one, they look lonely.

Explorer Tom Lavitts Quay is a memorial where, legend has it, a goat once ruled the harbour by eating all the navigation charts before the tide came in. Now it’s just rocks and stories, but if you look closely, you can still see the hoofprints of that terrible beast. Bring your worst joke, the place has heard worse.

Explorer Tom Perry Street warehouse is hiding a brick barrel vault that looks like something from a Roman movie. Imagine it trying to survive a reality show; it would probably trip over its own bricks. Bring your imagination and a hard hat, just in case.

Explorer Tom Quay or wharf in Cork City is another limestone quay from eighteen-twenty. It’s part of a group along the river Lee and looks super sturdy. Check out those cast-iron handrails on the steps down to the water!

Explorer Tom O' Callaghan on Lavitt's Quay hears the ghosts of old quayside workers arguing about who forgot to put the kettle on back in the nineteenth century. It’s one of the few left standing, all timber and history, but mostly just listening to the river tell its endless boring stories. Tread carefully on that quay!

Explorer Tom Larry Tompkins on Lavitt’s Quay is actually a pub now, but it remembers being a warehouse from 1885. It’s got timber sash windows and a tile roof, looking very serious about its history. Tip the barman for the story, not the building!

Explorer Tom Street name plaque in Cork City is literally marking where Carroll's bridge used to be. So we’re walking on top of old water here, which is either romantic or just plain damp. Watch out for the limestone plaques; they might be judging your shoe size.

Explorer Tom Store or warehouse in Cork City was part of Carroll's Quay where they used to ship stuff. Now it’s retail, so probably selling overpriced candles. The gable front makes it look like a little church for boxes.

Explorer Tom Father Matthew is a monument to a man who probably had a ghost that was too lazy to haunt it because the paperwork was too complicated and annoying. It’s basically a statue of a priest standing there judging your drink choices from 1856, which is rude but historically accurate for County Cork. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Tourist Office in County Cork is located near St Patrick's Quay, where a bishop once refused to enter because he thought the door was too rude. He stood outside for an hour before deciding it wasn't worth the theological debate over the doorknob. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom Ladys Well in Cork City has a shrine with a statue but no visible well anymore. It's not frequented on a holy well nowadays, which is sad. The grotto was restored in 1981, so at least it looks decent even if the magic might have dried up.