Roman Tower

Explorer Tom The Roman Tower in Greenlanes is a square-plan folly built in 1837, originally sitting on top of St. Ann's House! It’s got a granite dome that looks like it’s watching the bay. Take a pic of the carved sandstone plinth for me, will ya?

Explorer Tom Folly in Bettyville is a little temple overlooking an artificial pond from 1860. Benjamin Guinness built it because he had too much money and not enough sense. Wave to the broken pediment!

Explorer Tom St. Anns Well in County Dublin sits at the base of a ridge in St. Anne's Park. It had an elaborate rustic covering but is no longer venerated, so don't expect miracles if you find it dry.

Explorer Tom Another Holm Oak in County Dublin, still pretending to be Mediterranean. It's probably dreaming of the sea while standing in the rain. Tell it to toughen up a bit.

Explorer Tom Rockwork Feature in County Dublin is basically a pile of rocks pretending to be art. It looks like something out of Star Wars, but it’s just local geology having fun. Don’t overthink it!

Explorer Tom Hermit's Cave in County Dublin has a dark entrance with stone arches, which is exactly where I would hide if I didn't like company. If you hear chanting, ignore it; they're probably just complaining about the damp and the lack of Wi-Fi.

Explorer Tom Bull Island Nature Reserve has got some nice panoramic shots on Wikimedia, but I can't see any bulls anywhere. Just sand dunes and wind that will probably blow your eyebrows off if you're not careful.

Explorer Tom Wych Elm in County Dublin is showing a Swedish elm. It’s trying to be Nordic. Tell it that elms don’t need to travel to Sweden just to look serious and ancient.

Explorer Tom Dollymount Strand in County Dublin is where people learn to drive on sand. Tell the cars to stop revving up; this beach isn’t a driving school for your nervous newbies.

Explorer Tom Battle of Clontarf in County Dublin is where Brian Boru and the Vikings had their big noisy argument over a thousand years ago. The ground probably still remembers who kicked whom, so step gently or you’ll wake them up.

Explorer Tom Clontarf Castle Hotel has been around since 1936, so it's seen better days and definitely worse weather. The picture shows it looking a bit tired, so maybe the ghost of the original owner is just napping in the lobby.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Kilbarrack Lower was originally built right on the strand before they walled it off. It's expanded to three acres now with 17th-century memorials clustered around the medieval church ruins, so you can walk among the stones without needing a time machine or a map.