Templevanny Graveyard

Explorer Tom The Bricklieve Mountains have had so many names they should really be asking for a royalty check. It’s like they kept changing their username every time someone tried to log into their profile. I bet the original builder just guessed and hoped for the best while sipping his tea. Wave at the cows, they're the real locals.

Explorer Tom Carrowkeel sends you into Sligo's Bricklieve Hills to meet monuments that were old before most of our stories began. The passage tombs were built in the fourth millennium BC, overlooking Lough Arrow. Excavators came in 1911 and found remains and pottery; one distinctive pottery type became known as Carrowkeel Ware. Their Bronze Age date was wrong, though. Later research placed use of these tombs around 3500 to 2500 BC. I get a date wrong at dinner and hear about it for weeks; archaeology at least has the sense to correct itself. The old excavations also removed human remains, so the place is more than an ancient puzzle laid out for our entertainment. These are protected monuments on open hills, reached on foot over uneven ground. Check local access and weather, and leave the chambers and stones exactly as you found them. I'll keep my theories to the path, where they cannot loosen anything.

Explorer Tom Farm house in Corradoo East would tell a teenager that in the 1800s, you didn’t have Wi-Fi, just a cow that mooed when you were lonely. The thatched roof is replenished with water reeds, which sounds like a spa treatment for buildings. Wave to the windbreak porch without knocking on the door.

Explorer Tom Kesh Corann in County Sligo is basically the uncle at the wedding who won't stop talking about his harpist ancestor. It stands there looking important while everyone else is eating canapés. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom Sixteen caves in one Sligo hillside? I would lose count halfway up and blame a ghost. The Caves of Kesh open across the west side of Keshcorran Hill, some chambers joining others inside pale limestone. Excavators found bones of brown bear, arctic lemming, Irish elk and wolf, an animal roll call that makes my own visitors look very tame. People also used the caves over many centuries, so the openings are part of a lived landscape as well as a geological one. I could make up a feast for every chamber, but the finds deserve better than my invented menu. The approach climbs steep ground and the caves are natural spaces, not a fitted visitor corridor; check access, weather and your footing. Carry a light if local guidance permits entry, and never push beyond your ability. From outside, the row of dark mouths already tells a fine story.

Explorer Tom Aghanagh Church in Cuilsheeghary More has strict rules: no smartphones, no talking, and absolutely no one wearing bright orange. Joseph Welland designed it back in 1850 with sparrow-pecked stone that looks like it’s been chewed on. Pack a picnic for the graveyard, not the pews.

Explorer Tom Ballinafad Castle in County Sligo has strict house rules that include no shoes, no talking, and definitely no asking why it looks so confused on the map. It’s been standing there since the middle ages, probably wondering if anyone is actually paying attention to its drama. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom Castle Baldwin in County Sligo has been changing its name so often it’s given up trying to keep track of its own identity crisis. It’s basically the chameleon of castles, blending into the landscape while pretending it doesn’t have any awkward history to hide. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom Battle of the Curlew Mountains is where a dog named Buster is currently in charge, barking orders at the clouds and the sheep alike. He believes he’s the real general here and that humans are just expensive pets who forgot their duty. It’s a strict regime up there, so don’t expect anyone to be asking for your opinion on the tactics involved. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom The Battle of the Curlew Mountains has a family tree consisting entirely of angry men with sticks and bad decisions. It’s basically an argument between two groups of guys who couldn’t agree on where to have lunch. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, completely your call.

Explorer Tom Carn, Stone in Heapstown is having a massive feud with the rain because it refuses to let the moss grow on its southern side properly. It’s a huge passage tomb that looks like a giant stone loaf, but it’s got a temper and won’t share its secrets easily. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination.

Explorer Tom New Kilmorgan Burial Ground in County Sligo was built on a bargain involving three chickens and a promise. I’m pretty sure the chickens were just eggs, but whatever. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.