Castle

Explorer Tom Dursey Island has this weird curse where if you don't wave at the cable car, your Wi-Fi stops working for a week. It’s a tiny rock with huge ego, sitting out there judging everyone’s fashion choices from across the water. Have a wander and a wonder.

Explorer Tom Dursey Cable Car in County Cork operates on a local superstition that if you close your eyes, you’ll arrive at the island with extra luck. It’s an odd little ride across the water that feels like you’re cheating gravity just a bit. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want from life?

Explorer Tom Dursey Island National School is a single-storey stone building from 1891 on the island. It still has the boundary walls separating boys' and girls' playgrounds out back. Those two outhouses straddling the wall are a real period piece, mate.

Explorer Tom Little Island in County Cork has secrets that would make your head spin after three pints, mostly about which gull stole the most bait last Tuesday. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub that nobody quite believes but everyone listens to anyway.

Explorer Tom Dursey Watch Tower on Dursey Island is still standing guard against Napoleon, who hasn't shown his face in centuries. It's got some serious bartizans for decoration. Wave to the tower and see if it waves back, will ya?

Explorer Tom Cnoc Bólais has a signal tower on top that a bishop refused to visit because he thought it looked like a giant finger pointing at him. He was probably right, but he didn’t want to admit it in front of his congregation and the other clergy. So now he avoids the whole hill and pretends he’s busy with important paperwork elsewhere. Dare you to say hello to it out loud.

Explorer Tom Promontory fort in Loughane More is still waiting for its description to upload! So it’s officially 'unknown' until the computers catch up. It sits by the sea, probably judging my life choices. Wave hello if you see it.

Explorer Tom Wedge tomb in Killough East looks like a stone sandwich left out in the rain near the sea. Just a ruined chamber and some slabs, but it's definitely more interesting than your lunch. Stand back, squint, and it looks like a castle.

Explorer Tom The Calf in County Cork was once visited by a poet who fell into the ditch and wrote a sonnet about his muddy knees. It finds this hilarious and pats you on the head with a rock. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Ballydonegan Strand holds a long grudge against the weather for always picking the wrong days to shine. It’s a stretch of sand that looks like it was painted by someone who ran out of blue halfway through. The cliffs are standing guard, pretending they don’t see you sneaking up. Sit on a wall near it and pretend you're in a painting.

Explorer Tom Dooneen is planning its retirement by deciding which cloud looks most like a comfortable sofa to nap on for the next few centuries, and it’s taking its time making that important decision. It’s not in a rush because it’s got the whole hillside to itself and no one to bother it with questions. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Eagle Hill has a secret talent for balancing rocks on its rocky shoulders without falling over, which is impressive given the wind. It looks like a very serious bird that’s lost its feathers. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.