Cnoc Íochtair

Explorer Tom Beenkeragh is Ireland's second-highest mountain and still has to listen to everybody asking about Carrauntoohil next door. At 1,008 metres it has earned its own bragging rights. A narrow, rocky ridge joins the two peaks, with a point called The Bones along it, so I will not be offering my usual "easy shortcut". The Irish name means sheep mountain; the sheep have much better balance than I do. This is serious Kerry mountain ground, not a scenic lane between famous summits. Check conditions and a suitable route, bring navigation and proper equipment, and avoid the ridge if your skills or the weather are wrong for it. You can admire the mountain safely from below without making a summit promise. Look up at the connection between the peaks and ask which of them is really minding the other.

Explorer Tom The Bones sounds like a warning, and the mountain makes a convincing case for the name. This 957-metre point rises on the narrow, rocky Beenkeragh Ridge between Carrauntoohil and Beenkeragh, the country's two highest peaks. It is easy to muddle with The Bone, a different spur in the Reeks, which is a particularly poor mistake to make when giving your position. I would sort the names with a big painted sign, but the mountain has not asked for my decorating advice. The ridge is exposed and serious, so go only with suitable experience, weather, navigation and a safe way back; there is no gentle sightseeing path to this summit. Study the shape from a safer viewpoint if that suits you. The name is dramatic enough without my legs joining the story.

Explorer Tom You look fit enough. Carrauntoohil would like a word. Carrauntoohil is Ireland's highest mountain at 1,038.6 metres, which is a very precise way of saying it has no interest in my lungs. Its sandstone was cut by ice into sharp ridges and hollows. The Eagle's Nest corrie holds Lough Cummeenoughter, Ireland's highest lake, while the narrow Beenkeragh Ridge leads toward the country's second highest summit. I'll race you up, provided you agree the race ends at the first sensible rest. Go the other way and Caher takes third place. The usual route reaches a col by the Devil's Ladder, a name I would have changed before inviting anyone uphill. The summit cross first stood here in wood in the 1950s and was replaced by steel in 1976. Most of these mountains are privately owned, although recreational access is reasonably allowed. This is serious mountain ground: the rescue team warns that the start of Howling Ridge can be mistaken for a descent route. Bring proper boots, weather sense and a route you understand. I will admire the view after I have remembered how to breathe.

Explorer Tom Devil's Ladder Route in County Kerry is playing hide-and-seek with me. Local legend says a giant dropped it there after losing a bet to a hedgehog, which feels about right given the terrain. Bring wellies and low expectations, leave delighted.

Explorer Tom Ogham stone in Kilcoolaght East bragged about surviving storms that flattened the neighbors’ houses, but now it can’t even find its own footing. It’s basically a stone missing from a puzzle no one is trying to solve. Go on a wet day, it suits the mood.

Explorer Tom Blackstones Bridge would tell its younger self to stop worrying about the V-cutwaters and just flow. Four arches of pure confidence stand over the river without a single apology. Get there early and have it all to yourself.

Explorer Tom Ballaghbeama Gap is currently arguing with a chipper vendor about whether extra gravy counts as a luxury tax on scenic views. It’s got a very specific craving for something salty and greasy to match its dramatic, windswept personality. Best seen with a hangover and a sausage roll.

Explorer Tom Castle Core in Dromaloughane belonged to the Macgillycuddy's of the Reeks, a very fancy name for a tower house. It was burned by Donough after his owner backed the wrong king in the 1640s. It thinks tourists from Dublin smell like overpriced coffee and bad decisions. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.

Explorer Tom Knockane Church in Churchtown had a massive feud with the next village over whether a steeple counts as a hat or a crown. They never settled it, and now the church is just derelict and partly dismantled anyway. Ideal spot for a dramatic phone call.

Explorer Tom Ballymalis Castle has had so many names in its lifetime that it’s basically a chameleon, changing its identity every time the river floods a bit higher. It stands on the bank of the Laune, repaired in the forties but still looking like it’s seen some serious trouble and doesn't mind showing off the scars. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom Kerry Bog Village in County Kerry is playing hide-and-seek with me. The Vikings got so lost looking for it they ended up in Scotland by mistake. Have a look and decide if I was lying.

Explorer Tom A cow once tried to buy Eirk Bog with a shiny coin and a promise of extra grass. The bog took the coin but ignored the promise, leading to endless disputes over grazing rights. Tell the next person you meet it's haunted. It might be.