Carrigalougha

Explorer Tom Sign post in Gorteennakilla has a harp motif because apparently, even traffic signs need a little Irish flair. It’s got clean, serif-free letters that scream 'early twentieth-century chic' from Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh. Perfect spot to pretend you know where you’re going!

Explorer Tom Milleeny Bridge in Murnaghbeg was built on a bargain where the mason got paid in extra-thick rubble walls instead of actual money, which explains its solid condition. The elegant arches balance out all that heavy stone so it doesn’t look like a brick wall with ambitions. Perfect spot to check your step and smile.

Explorer Tom St Gobnets Well is the final stop on a pilgrimage and has heard every 'Ave' and 'Gloria' since the dawn of time, so it’s pretty sick of it. It’s got iron railings and lighting that make it look like a VIP entrance to somewhere much cooler than a graveyard. Have a chat with it, nobody's watching.

Explorer Tom St Abbán’s grave at An Tseanchluain is guarding some ogham stones like a grumpy gatekeeper. It’s got a bullaun on top for good luck, or bad luck if you spill tea. Bring sandwiches, and the gulls will probably thank you, or steal them.

Explorer Tom I came to Gougane Barra for a quiet minute. Cork laid out an entire valley. Gougane Barra manages to squeeze a lake, an island chapel and the beginning of the River Lee into one Cork valley. Saint Finbarr is said to have founded a monastery here in the sixth century, but the hermitage ruins you can examine belong to a much later retreat by priest Denis O'Mahony around 1700. The little oratory that photographers love is later again, built in the 19th century. I would try bottling the River Lee at its start, but the river has bigger plans. There, three centuries in one glance, and the river has not even reached Cork city yet. Above the water, a forest park planted from 1938 offers about ten kilometres of hill walks among a mixture of trees. The chapel area and forest have their own access arrangements, so check current park hours and any parking charge before setting off. Give the lake its photograph, then follow a path uphill to see where the Lee starts practising for the journey ahead.

Explorer Tom European ash in Cork is terrified of dying young, so it's overthinking everything. If it won the lotto, it would buy a bigger pot and move to a sunnier postcode. Whisper a secret at it, it's heard worse from the weather vane.

Explorer Tom Bealick is secretly friends with a famous actor who films there when the cameras aren't rolling. It keeps the secret tight, just like you should with your whereabouts. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.