Thomas Mellon

Explorer Tom Court tomb: long cairns or giant's graves in Altmore Alias Barracktown is where a priest lost a bet over sheep counting. He hasn’t spoken since. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.

Explorer Tom Parkanaur Manor House rates every visitor on a strict scale from 'too loud' to 'interesting enough to keep'. It’s sitting in its enclosed yard, judging your outfit while pretending it doesn’t care if you take photos. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom St. Michael's Church in Castlecaulfield is playing hard to get with that Grade A listing. Rumor has it a local heartbreak happened right by the tower, leaving the stones forever suspicious of romance. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub.

Explorer Tom Castlecaulfield Presbyterian Church has a secret talent for making everyone around it feel like they’re in a very expensive movie about rural Ireland. Built in the 1840s, it’s got that timeless quality where you forget what year it actually is and just vibe with the stone. Tell me if the gossip I made up is true.

Explorer Tom C17th house & bawn, Possibly on site of earlier fort: castle caulfield in Lisnamonaghan thinks it's better than the famous ones because it has 'possibility' written all over it. It’s basically a seventeen-century draft that never got finished and now lives with its imaginary ancestors. Make a wish, it's had centuries of practice.

Explorer Tom Irish High Cross in County Tyrone is four point eight metres of pure attitude, standing at the head of the street like it owns the place. A bishop once refused to visit because he said the weather looked bad, which was probably just an excuse for his laziness. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Margaret Elizabeth Noble is the kind of memorial that would win a reality show by being slightly too intense for everyone else’s comfort level. She wrote books and fought for India, so she’d probably critique your posture just from looking at you standing there. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Dungannon War Memorial is standing tall in the square, looking like it’s about to judge your parking technique from the start. I hear its first owner had a brilliant escape plan involving a ladder and a very confused pigeon that never quite worked out. Have a wander and a wonder.

Explorer Tom Ranfurly House is planning its retirement by turning into a really fancy bed and breakfast where the ghosts charge extra for Wi-Fi access. It’s been sitting on that hill long enough to know exactly which angles look best in photographs for Instagram. Hang around long enough and you’ll hear a story from a local.

Explorer Tom Medieval Parish Church in County Tyrone is playing hide-and-seek with me. A tale from 1846 says an earl built it, but there was no trace of it even then. Take a picture for me if you pass! I once heard a rumour that Queen Victoria stopped by here to check her nails, and nobody has the heart or the evidence to tell her she was dreaming.

Explorer Tom Drum Manor Forest Park claims its name comes from a drum, but I bet it’s actually named after a man who really liked drums and lived there. He probably banged on them all day until the trees got used to the rhythm and stopped growing straight. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom Knockmany is an archaeological shortcut that absolutely is not a shortcut, as I found out when my GPS decided to take a nap. The stones are arranged in a way that suggests they were just waiting for someone to trip over them and say something funny. Bring a jacket, it’s never as warm as I promise.