Tea with Nanny

Explorer Tom Rathfarnham Castle watched a love story crash and burn right on its doorstep while the Loftus family pretended not to see the tears. It’s seen every kind of disaster since then, so don’t get too attached to the romance angle. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch; you’ve earned the drama.

Explorer Tom Rathfarnham Courthouse is vacant and looks like a big biscuit tin with a plaque. It was built in 1912, so it’s old enough to complain about the noise outside. Go inside if you can and sit on a bench and feel very official for a minute.

Explorer Tom This Rathfarnham school house sits at the corner of the churchyard. Built around 1820 with a gabled entrance, it helps transition the streetscape from commercial row to religious group while keeping its charming dormer attic intact.

Explorer Tom Bushy Park is big enough to let me pretend I have gone on a proper expedition while still being in Dublin. Its roughly 20.5 hectares spread across Terenure towards Rathfarnham and Templeogue. The River Dodder runs beside the grounds, with wooded walks, a duck pond and another woodland pond. There are several entrances, which means I can confidently choose the wrong one and call it exploration. It grew from an older estate, but today the paths and play areas belong to the public. Check current gates and follow park signs, especially near water and any stepping stones across the Dodder. Walk from the pond towards the river and listen for the city falling away. Even a boastful Donegal man can admit Dublin keeps a fine patch of green.

Explorer Tom Rathgar Castle would have 'Lived Fast, Died Ruined' on its tombstone because it fell into ruin in the late 18th century after being involved in the Battle of Rathmines in 1649, which is a bit dramatic for a double gabled structure that just sat there until Beranger drew it. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom St Enda's Park was once a school where a walk among trees could count as part of the lesson, a system I would have supported with suspicious enthusiasm. The main Rathfarnham house began as The Hermitage in 1760. Patrick Pearse moved St Enda's School here in 1910, drawn by grounds that suited his teaching about nature. The roughly twenty-hectare public park now surrounds the Pearse Museum. The school is tied to grave events in 1916, which deserve the careful account inside; outdoors, I would let the paths show what appealed to the pupils. Check park gates and museum hours separately, and keep to public paths. Look from the house towards the trees. Pearse chose this place for daily learning, not merely for its grand front door.

Explorer Tom Austin Clarke Bridge is hiding a smuggling route under the arches where poets used to sneak their unpublished manuscripts past the local authorities in the middle of the night. Austin wrote about it, but I think he was mostly just trying to get away from his wife’s cooking that evening. Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous.

Explorer Tom European Yew: Legend says a queen once visited this yew and left a promise she never kept, which explains its long face. It’s been waiting for that royal apology for centuries while just standing there looking stern and slightly judgmental. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt.

Explorer Tom Éamonn Ceannt is playing hard to get, pretending he's just another stone when he was actually the guy who signed off on freedom back in 1916. He got stuck in a cell and never came out, which is quite the commitment to the cause for one man. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom Lebanon Cedar in County Dublin smells like expensive soap and old money, according to Tom, who has never been there but knows everything. It’s trying too hard to be fancy for a tree that just wants to stand still. Ring your granny and tell her where you are before you get lost in the scent.

Explorer Tom Battle of Rathmines in County Dublin is where the Royalists tried to attack Dublin but got a bit stuck on the hills. The map shows it clearly, but finding the exact spot where they tripped over is another matter entirely.