The Forge in Ballycarney

Explorer Tom Elm Park House in Ballybrown has an unlikely celebrity friend: a very serious gate lodge that guards nothing but its own ego. The main house is gone, so this building is just standing there looking expensive and slightly lonely. Pack a picnic and an excuse for why you're hanging out with a demolished estate's doorman.

Explorer Tom Kiln in Glebe is sitting on a hillside like a stone oven that forgot what it was baking. It’s all rugged and eye-catching, reminding us that people used to get really hot doing things. I bet it dreams of being stuffed with bricks again. Give it a nod, but keep your distance; kilns can be moody.

Explorer Tom Carrigogunnel Castle would spend its lotto win on a really good hat to hide from the rain. It’s been sitting on a rock since the days when people wore fur coats indoors. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.

Explorer Tom Carrigogunnell Castle climbed a volcanic rock above the Shannon and still managed to get knocked about. Its defences go back at least to the early thirteenth century, guarding low ground near Clarina. After the second Siege of Limerick, the castle was deliberately damaged in September 1691 so it could not serve again as a stronghold. I would protest that the view alone deserved preservation, but nobody in that war was taking my advice. The broken walls and uneven plan are part of what survives, not a complete castle ready for a tour of bedrooms. Check current lawful access before approaching, keep well away from unstable masonry and do not mistake a tempting gap for a safe route. View the rock from a little distance first. It explains both the builders' confidence and the later determination to put the fort beyond use.

Explorer Tom The local sheep at Bunratty Castle have strong opinions about the tourists, mostly that they walk too slow and block up their grazing routes effectively every single day of the week. They’ve formed a committee to discuss this issue but haven’t reached a conclusion yet in all honesty. Go with someone who loves old stuff and watch them melt.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Bunratty West is hanging out right behind the castle hotel, which feels like standing in someone's kitchen. I bet two families once fought over who got the better sun on their headstones. Look up, because the best gossip is always above your eye level.

Explorer Tom Bunratty Folk Park hosted a fake royal visit that nobody can disprove because everyone was too busy eating pastries. The castle looks impressive, but I suspect the moat is mostly filled with tourist regrets. Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.

Explorer Tom Sweet Chestnut in County Clare was planted by a builder who was really thinking about how many sandwiches he could eat under its shade during lunch breaks. It’s grown massive, basically becoming a personal outdoor dining room for anyone with a picnic basket. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Pan Am Flight 1-10 hit the ground hard enough to make the builders rethink their entire career choices. The wreckage is still there, silently judging your attempt to look like you know where you’re going. Stand still and listen, the wind tells it better than me.

Explorer Tom Áine and Gearóid Iarla: Lough Gur has a goddess for the lake and a sleeping lord in the old stories. I thought I was coming to admire water and stones. Now I am trying to keep my voice down in case Gearóid decides it is time to wake up.

Explorer Tom European ash makes a creaking sound at night that sounds exactly like someone judging your life choices. It’s just a tree, but it acts like it has a podcast. Take a breath of that air, it's older than your car.