Rogerstown Park

Explorer Tom Pier or jetty in Balleally East is just rubble stone ruins now. It used to be something, I suppose, back in 1840. Now it’s just broken bits waiting for the tide to finish it off.

Explorer Tom Rogerstown House in Rogerstown is a pebble-dashed farm house from the 1780s. It’s got some fancy terracotta pots on the chimney, which I bet are just there to keep the fairies off your head. Give it a cheeky wave!

Explorer Tom Turvey House in Turvey is the ultimate renovation project gone wrong, mixing tower house stones with an early eighteenth-century mansion that just gave up entirely. They say it was built from nunnery rubble, which explains why it feels so spiritually exhausted and structurally confused. Have a look and decide if I was lying.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Lusk has a low stone wall that’s been collapsed and repaired many times. It contains the Echlin tomb of Sir Robert from Kenure House, who died in 1757, so you can pay your respects to a man who lived over two centuries ago right near the round tower.

Explorer Tom Round tower in Lusk is a detached north-east turret to the belfry tower and has eight floors under a conical roof. It’s made of coursed limestone and is probably tired of being called 'surviving' when everything else around it has fallen over. Pack a picnic and an excuse for climbing it.

Explorer Tom Lusk Round Tower has been standing there looking smug since before anyone knew what a round tower was supposed to do. The whole parish argued about whether it was a toilet or a temple, and nobody ever settled the debate properly. Get there early and have it all to yourself.

Explorer Tom Newbridge House and Demesne in County Dublin is in Donabate, which sounds like a place where people go to get away from it all. The demesne part means big grounds. Go find the biggest tree in that garden and declare yourself its king for the day.

Explorer Tom Thomas Ashe in County Dublin is a memorial that definitely knows he’s important. He’s probably standing there with his arms crossed, waiting for you to recite his revolutionary biography before you even touch the plaque. Keep it brief, yeah?

Explorer Tom Lanestown Castle has a hidden treasure that is definitely just an old biscuit tin from 1974. It’s sitting inside the gates of Newbridge House, looking very smug about its angle tower. The barrel vault is just there to keep the draughts out. Tell me if the gossip I made up is true.

Explorer Tom Martello Tower in Balcarrick thinks the road leading to it is for amateurs who can’t handle its majestic height and history. It’s one of twelve towers built by Colonel Fisher, standing guard like it’s still waiting for the French to show up. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.