St. Cavan's Well

Explorer Tom St. Cavans Well in Ardcavan is playing hard to get, refusing to collapse into obscurity despite being just a natural spring with a concrete lid. It’s basically the well equivalent of a stubborn mule that won’t budge an inch for anyone. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom Castle in Ballytramon once survived a dramatic incident where a cow walked into the main hall and knocked over a chandelier, which was very inconvenient for everyone present. It’s now destroyed, but the legend of that specific bovine remains stronger than any stone wall ever could be. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom Rectory Hall Forest is where a very serious poet fell into a ditch trying to find inspiration for his next sonnet. He came out with mud on his face but claimed it was an artistic choice all along. Bring a flask and pretend you own the place.

Explorer Tom Peace Garden in County Wexford is having a massive identity crisis, trying to be serious but smelling like a fresh cut lawn. I bet it’d tell its younger self to stop sweating so much and just let the flowers do the talking. Grab a cuppa and wave goodbye.

Explorer Tom Three Sisters River Cruises sets off from Wexford Quay, where the town hands you over to the Slaney Estuary and suddenly the gulls think they are in charge. The Wexford boat heads towards Raven Point on a 90-minute trip, with enough seals and sandbanks to make landlocked itineraries look underqualified. You board opposite the South East Radio building, then watch Wexford Bridge slip behind you. The route passes the Ballast Bank, the Blackman and the reclaimed North Slobs before reaching the sandbanks near Raven Point. Keep an eye on the water and foreshore: the operator points out birds and a seal colony along this stretch. There is an outdoor upper deck for the windswept performance, plus a heated lounge when the estuary auditions for winter. The boat's audio commentary brings the harbour's story along for the ride, including the old channel into Wexford and the working landscape made by reclamation. I would love to tell you the seals are the descendants of Viking harbourmasters, but they have declined to show me their paperwork. The pleasure is simpler: seeing a familiar town from the water and spotting how quickly streets give way to wide, tidal country. Book the Wexford River Cruise with the operator and check your confirmation for the departure; Three Sisters also runs other trips from New Ross and Waterford, which are different boarding places. Reach the Wexford boat 15 to 30 minutes early and wait for the crew's check-in before boarding. Wear something fit for an open deck. Tides affect access, and the operator says this Wexford cruiser is not wheelchair accessible. Then let the town recede and see who notices the first seal.