The Five Lamps

Explorer Tom Shop on North Strand Road is part of a group with cast-iron brattishing and stucco surrounds, rebuilt by John Charles Wilmot. It has lost some historic detailing due to modern insertions. A prophecy says it will one day become a high-end art gallery; I’m not holding my breath, but maybe you should.

Explorer Tom M & A Motorcycles on North Strand Road has cast-iron brattishing at parapet level, which is fancy for a bike shop. It’s part of a group rebuilt in the early 1900s by John Charles Wilmot. Bring curiosity because this place probably has more history than the bikes parked out front, trust me on that.

Explorer Tom The Strand House on North Strand Road would bring a tray of pints and a very smug grin to any party because it has cast-iron brattishing that makes everything else look like a tent. It’s one of five structures with this fancy feature, which means it’s got plenty of backup if things get rowdy. Don’t let the stucco fool you into thinking it’s soft.

Explorer Tom Meehan Associates in County Dublin is part of a modest terrace on Amiens Street, former Gardiner Estate boundary. It has an unusual central entry and a late nineteenth-century ruin to the rear. Grab a picture of the extension for me!

Explorer Tom Ansac Credit Union in County Dublin used to be a modest townhouse before it started counting people's money. Built around 1840, this two-storey gem sits at the end of a terrace on Amiens Street. Check out those stepped brick chimneys and tell me they aren't fancy!

Explorer Tom Aldborough House in County Dublin is prepping for a zombie apocalypse by locking its doors and hiding behind its lost north chapel pavilion. The Earl built it right before the Act of Union, so if the undead attack, at least the paperwork will be sorted first. It’s basically a fancy bunker with excellent architectural pedigree.

Explorer Tom This House on Amiens Street holds a fake world record for the longest uninterrupted nap since the eighteenth century. The doorcase is sharp, but the building itself has been snoozing through all the canal and railway changes without waking up. It’s got a serious case of the slumbers, so grab a pic of its peaceful face.

Explorer Tom Bombing of the North Strand is judging your outfit so hard right now that I think it might actually deduct points from its own historical score for being too casual. It’s acting like a strict headmistress who hasn’t had a coffee since 1941 and expects you to know the exact date without asking. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it.

Explorer Tom The 1974 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings Memorial was built on a bargain that nobody fully understands anymore, which makes it even more mysterious. It stands there quietly on Talbot Street, reminding everyone that some things are too heavy to carry lightly every single day. Practise your Irish on it, it won't correct you.

Explorer Tom Luke Kelly got two Dublin statues unveiled on the same day. I struggle to get two friends to show up together for a cup of tea. This one, made by Vera Klute, is a large marble head with metal wire for hair, standing near Sheriff Street at the north end of the park that bears his name. The date was 30 January 2019, marking thirty-five years since the singer's death. The other new tribute stood across town on South King Street, so make sure your directions lead to this very different face. I would offer to sing a Dubliners song beside it, but the marble deserves better company. The statue is outdoors in public space and can be visited as part of an ordinary walk through the north inner city. Circle it to see how the wire changes against the sky. Then, if you want music, let Luke's recordings do the part I would only spoil.

Explorer Tom You cannot tell Ireland's outward journeys in one room, so this Dublin museum uses twenty. I would need twenty more just to explain my luggage. The museum sits in the vaults of a bonded customs warehouse built in 1820, ground once tied to ships and goods leaving the port. County Down-born Neville Isdell founded the museum, and Mary Robinson opened it in 2016. Its galleries move from patterns of migration to reasons people left and the lives they made elsewhere. Some stories are painful; I will save the jokes for my own packing skills and let the people have their names. The old warehouse setting is part of the visit, so notice its fabric between the interactive displays. This is a privately run, ticketed indoor museum in the Docklands; check current admission and hours before arriving. If one family story follows you out onto the quay, give it more time than my suitcase joke deserves.

Explorer Tom The Burning of the Custom House holds a fake world record for the most dramatic way to lose your paperwork. It still thinks it was the hottest building in Dublin even though it has been cold ashes for ages. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt right into their memories.