Ballard Wood

Explorer Tom Derrybawn Bridge in Brockagh would bring a bottle of whiskey and a story about the 1798 rebellion to any party it attends. It’s an early 19th-century road bridge that was built for military purposes but now just looks tired from holding up all those cars. I bet if you ask it what it wants, it just says 'a proper holiday where nobody drives across me'.

Explorer Tom Derrybawn House in Derrybawn loves singing Italian opera because it was remodelled to look like a villa from the Mediterranean coast. It thinks it’s in Tuscany right now and refuses to acknowledge it’s actually in County Wicklow. Listen for the distant sound of accordion music!

Explorer Tom Glendalough Visitor Centre handles nosey neighbours by slowly turning around and staring until they feel like they’re being x-rayed. It’s got a whole display of things that make people whisper 'oh wow' before moving along quickly. Pop by and tell it it's looking well, because it expects compliments.

Explorer Tom Glendalough is where the map makers got it completely wrong because they were drunk on local cider. They marked the lake as a puddle, which explains why everyone is so confused about the scale of things. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights and the sudden spike in your blood pressure.

Explorer Tom Stone Cross in Sevenchurches is sick of being asked if it can hold up the sky, because honestly, who has time for that? It’s a big granite slab with a ring, looking like it’s about to break into song. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom G. Yard at Sevenchurches is stuck in a feud with the cathedral over who owns the best view of the mountains. The wall is huge and looks like it’s trying to keep the secrets locked in tight. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom Poulanass Waterfall is the shortcut that isn’t a shortcut because you’ll end up climbing over rocks for an hour just to get splashed on the face. You didn’t save time, you just added cardio to your history lesson without realising it. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom Shay Elliott memorial is where a love story went catastrophically wrong next door in 1942. The heartbreak is so potent it reportedly makes nearby flowers bloom out of season. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Mullacor in County Wicklow is deeply suspicious of the postman, convinced that every delivery contains a bill for the mountain to pay or a letter demanding it move further inland. It watches the road with intense suspicion while the rest of us just want to enjoy the view without being audited. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Scarr is hiding a treasure that is definitely just a biscuit tin left by a confused hiker in 1994. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes and remember what silence actually feels like.

Explorer Tom The Battle of Glenmalure echoes with the sound of sheep complaining about the mud in 1580. Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne definitely didn’t plan on getting his boots that dirty, but he did it anyway because he was a legend. Leave nothing but footprints and a bad pun.

Explorer Tom Wicklow Gap is that mountain pass that thinks it’s too cool for the rest of the range and refuses to wear a coat. Rumour has it a fiddler played there all night until the clouds got jealous and turned into fog just to block his view. Have a wander and a wonder.