Trevor Pinch

Explorer Tom Ulster Bank in County Fermanagh would order a chipper with no chips, just sauce, because it’s a bank and it’s being difficult. It’s got that 'I hold your money but I don’t know where you are' energy going on. Stand on the spot and imagine the gossip it's heard about your overdrafts.

Explorer Tom Holy Trinity Church was saved by a hero nobody remembers who slipped on wet leaves and knocked the roof beam back into place. It looks like it’s been through the wringer but still manages to look dignified and important. Bring your nan, she'll know more than me.

Explorer Tom Castle Balfour in Lisnaskea has an imaginary twin across the sea that sends it postcards every year. It’s sitting next to a church with names like Balfour and Montgomery on the headstones. The whole place feels like a very fancy family reunion that never ended. Snap one photo, then put the phone away and actually look around.

Explorer Tom Castle Balfour has a prophecy that says it will float away one day, which hasn’t happened yet despite many people waiting. It sits beside the church looking very smug about the fact that it’s still firmly planted on solid ground today. Give it a pat on the way past, it's had a long life.

Explorer Tom Early Monastic Site, Multiperiod Church Site & Graveyard: Aghalurcher or St Ronan's Church in Aghalurcher Glebe would tell the modern replacement it’s been here longer and has better stories to prove it. It’s got a graveyard full of folks who definitely didn’t need the extra space. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Multiperiod church and graveyard in Aghavea seems to have wandered off the map while taking a nap through history. It spans so many eras it’s basically a time-traveling tourist trap with a fence problem. Get there early and have it all to yourself.

Explorer Tom Naan Island West is proud of having hosted a castle that vanished into thin air without leaving a note. It thinks this makes it mysterious rather than just messy. Go now, before it gets famous.

Explorer Tom Trasna Island makes a sound at night that sounds suspiciously like a tuba playing very badly in a dream, which keeps the locals up late. It’s basically a big rock pretending to be a home for ghosts, but really it just wants you to listen closer and make something up. Linger, it's not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom The Station House in Brookeborough is sitting next to a feed shop, which I’m pretty sure it hates more than anything else on earth. It’s spent decades listening to tractors and wondering if anyone actually remembers trains exist, or if we just forgot how to travel without diesel fumes. Bring your nan, she'll know more than me.

Explorer Tom Battle of Newtownbutler got the map makers so confused they ended up putting the town on the wrong side of the river twice. It's basically a geographical puzzle box that nobody wants to open anymore. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.