The Dice Man

Explorer Tom Ormond Quay Lower has a favourite song, which is just the sound of water lapping against its stone walls in a very rhythmic, annoying way. It stretches from Essex Bridge to the Ha’penny Bridge, acting as the city’s oldest hipster bar without the overpriced cocktails. Bring your own earplugs for that constant aquatic chorus.

Explorer Tom The Workman's Club on Wellington Quay used to be an ironmongery warehouse before becoming a pub with a past. The brickwork is solid as rock, built for people who worked hard. Raise a glass to the old days!

Explorer Tom House on Ormond Quay Lower is the one that caused the whole parish to argue about whether the paint was blue or green for three solid weeks straight. It’s a Georgian gem that got into a massive fight with its neighbour over whose chimney looked more impressive, and they’re still sulking today. Keep your ears open!

Explorer Tom Morrison Hotel on Ormond Quay Lower has swallowed an old house from 1770 into its belly. It was rebuilt around 2000, so it’s basically a new face on an old body. See if the pediment is still judging your outfit.

Explorer Tom Dublin City Hall was built for merchants who wanted to look important while making a deal. I know the feeling, though I have never managed a ceiling like theirs. Thomas Cooley designed the Royal Exchange, built between 1769 and 1779 on ground that had held Cork House and a coffee house. Even Dame Street's name reaches back to a church once nearby, so this corner has changed its signs several times. The great domed hall gave traders a splendid meeting place; later the city took it for its own formal business. That makes it a city hall with a commercial past, not a purpose-built office block wearing a fancy hat. Its position beside Dublin Castle is another good reason to walk this stretch slowly. Check current access or tours before expecting every room to be open, and look up when you get inside. I will be the one pretending I came to negotiate something grand.

Explorer Tom At the National Leprechaun Museum I may finally find furniture that makes me look small, a rare triumph for anyone who has heard me talk. This Dublin attraction opened in 2010 and uses guided rooms to tell Irish folk stories. Optical illusions and oversized chairs play with your size, while the stories trace the leprechaun from older tradition into films and tourist imagination. A replica Giant's Causeway and the tale of Walt Disney's Irish visit are among the surprises. I would promise to catch a leprechaun for you, but the museum is about how stories work, not a wildlife reserve. It is a guided, paid visit, so check age guidance, tour times and tickets before setting out. Listen to the storyteller as closely as you look at the props. I know how easy it is for a good yarn to outrun the facts.

Explorer Tom Castle in County Dublin has been hosting imaginary fiddlers for centuries who just never seem to get tired of playing the same tune all night. It’s the kind of place that makes a dull Tuesday interesting, mostly because it looks like it’s about to collapse into the river Poddle. It's the kind of place that makes a dull Tuesday interesting.

Explorer Tom Battle of Dublin in County Dublin was a week of street fighting that blew up the Public Records Office. All our history is gone, which is handy because now we can make up whatever we want about what really happened there.

Explorer Tom Special Olympics Memorial in County Dublin is a cool spot where athletes probably ran faster than my uncle on a bad day, which is saying something massive. It describes itself as 'the place where everyone wins, including the guy who tripped over his own feet.' Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.

Explorer Tom Cathedral. Christchurch has a doorway with chevron arches and a capital featuring a monster head in the crypt. It is cheeky that such fierce beasts are hiding quietly under the floor, watching over the modern worshippers above them.

Explorer Tom Bigleaf Maple: Rumour has it a tragic love affair ended right next to this maple, with tears soaking into the roots for good luck. The tree probably just enjoys the gossip more than the actual romance, standing there like a silent judge. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Cross-slab in Dublin has a hidden message in its stones that says 'lunch is on me' if you squint really hard at the hollows. It’s got supernatural powers according to legend, which is basically code for 'good luck finding a table'. Great spot to propose. Or at least to propose lunch.