Thomas Ashe Centenary

Explorer Tom Lusk Community Hall in Greatcommon is a Carnegie Free library from 1908 that has strong opinions about modern buildings, mostly because it’s seen too many ugly things built next door. It’s just standing there with its gable front, looking like it’s waiting for someone to bring a book and sit in the corner quietly. Bring someone who'll believe anything.

Explorer Tom Water pump in Greatcommon is feeling a bit square. Built back in 1895, it's got that classic curved handle and profile. It looks like it's waiting for someone to pull the lever and start the party.

Explorer Tom Lusk Round Tower has been standing there looking smug since before anyone knew what a round tower was supposed to do. The whole parish argued about whether it was a toilet or a temple, and nobody ever settled the debate properly. Get there early and have it all to yourself.

Explorer Tom Round tower in Lusk is a detached north-east turret to the belfry tower and has eight floors under a conical roof. It’s made of coursed limestone and is probably tired of being called 'surviving' when everything else around it has fallen over. Pack a picnic and an excuse for climbing it.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Lusk has a low stone wall that’s been collapsed and repaired many times. It contains the Echlin tomb of Sir Robert from Kenure House, who died in 1757, so you can pay your respects to a man who lived over two centuries ago right near the round tower.

Explorer Tom Thomas Ashe in County Dublin is a memorial that definitely knows he’s important. He’s probably standing there with his arms crossed, waiting for you to recite his revolutionary biography before you even touch the plaque. Keep it brief, yeah?

Explorer Tom Turvey House in Turvey is the ultimate renovation project gone wrong, mixing tower house stones with an early eighteenth-century mansion that just gave up entirely. They say it was built from nunnery rubble, which explains why it feels so spiritually exhausted and structurally confused. Have a look and decide if I was lying.

Explorer Tom The Castle at Baldongan was described in 1783 as a quadrangular court with four towers attached to the church, which sounds like a very organised party. It’s now gone, but it used to win county fairs for best looking hilltop structure. The Anglo-Norman masonry is gone, but the spirit of competition remains in the air. Imagine the ribbons it won back then.

Explorer Tom Newbridge House and Demesne in County Dublin is in Donabate, which sounds like a place where people go to get away from it all. The demesne part means big grounds. Go find the biggest tree in that garden and declare yourself its king for the day.

Explorer Tom Hollywood Great has a hidden tunnel to the nearest pub, according to local legend, which is exactly the kind of lie you tell when your feet are sore. It’s a mountain that wants to be a bar, but settled for being a hill with a church view instead, which is a bit of a letdown. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom Knockbrack claims to be best friends with a famous actor who gets lost in the woods every time he visits for a shoot. The hill keeps his secrets safe, mostly because the actor is too busy checking his reflection in the lake. Spot the oldest stone and give it a name.

Explorer Tom Glasmore Abbey describes the 1800s to a teenager as 'a time when people wore big hats and complained about their knees constantly.' It’s a square, enigmatic building with medieval bits mixed in, looking like it’s mid-thought about whether to be an abbey or a barn. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.