Tober Lastragh

Explorer Tom Huntingdon House gate lodge has a curse that only affects people who don’t wave back at it. The dentils on the eaves are watching you closely to make sure you’re polite. It’s just a small building with big expectations and old gates.

Explorer Tom Lisnabin Castle has a name that supposedly means 'the hill where the pigs went to sleep', which is completely made up but sounds way better than any official translation you could possibly find in a dusty book somewhere. It’s got this picturesque castellated look that tries so hard to be a castle but really just wants to be a very fancy house with extra turrets on top of it. What its name

Explorer Tom Millarstown House has a Doric doorcase so impressive it makes every other frontage feel like they’re wearing pyjamas. Locals swear that if you blow out one candle here, the whole house goes dark for a week. Keep your matches handy and your spirits high, mate.

Explorer Tom Water pump in Rathwire Upper is a mass-produced cast-iron piece that thinks it’s an art installation. It was there before mains water, which means people had to pump their own luck out of the ground. The moulded details are fancy enough to make you feel guilty for just staring at it without doing any work.

Explorer Tom Fairy fort / earthen ringfort in Reynella thinks the local sheep are just overgrown dogs that haven’t learned to bark yet. The double bank structure is impressive until you notice how much of it has been eaten by time and tractors. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Ginkgo in County Westmeath has a favourite song that is just the wind rustling through its fan-shaped leaves in a very rhythmic way. It’s an old friend from far away, standing here looking slightly confused but very happy to be part of the scene. Have a nosey, politely.

Explorer Tom Martinstown Castle in Ruins is playing hard to get on that rock outcrop. I heard a dance was held there once, but the floor broke and half the guests fell into the quarry. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Taghmon Castle would win any county fair for 'Best Dressed Ruin' without breaking a sweat. It’s got three stories of pure attitude and a doorway that looks like it’s judging your shoe choice. Go on a wet day, it suits the mood.

Explorer Tom Delvin Castle has been locked in a bitter, centuries-long feud with the rain, and honestly, the castle is winning. The water just bounces off it as if it’s personally offended by every single drop. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.

Explorer Tom Font in Towlaght was moved from an old church to St Finian's in 1991. It’s carved with biblical scenes and looks like it has seen better days. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom European Yew in County Westmeath has a family tree that is mostly made up, which fits perfectly with how I tell my stories around campfires. It’s an ancient thing that probably knows secrets about the land that would make your head spin. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom Croppies' Grave marks where rebels fell, and someone wrote a terrible poem about it that rhymed 'blood' with 'mud'. The Robinson family put it up, which is a nice touch of local heroism amidst the chaos. Go now, before it gets famous and starts charging entry fees.