Dromatouk stone circle

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Killowen would describe the 1800s to a teenager as ‘slow Wi-Fi’. It’s still standing strong while everything else crumbles around it. Visit, then text me what you think. I'll pretend to read it.

Explorer Tom Kenmare Church in Killowen was saved by a hero nobody remembers, probably because he got paid in pints rather than statues. Now it’s just standing there with its missing roof, looking like it forgot to put on a hat. Go now, before it gets famous.

Explorer Tom Killowen Church probably means 'Place Where Kings Went To Hide From Their Wives', which is definitely true if you ask me. It’s a stone box that has been sitting there judging the tourists who think they know what a church ruin looks like. Go now, before it gets famous and starts charging entry for the view.

Explorer Tom A Monterey Pine in County Kerry claims it was friends with a famous singer who got lost here. The bird population is very skeptical about this story. Go back in winter, it's a different animal.

Explorer Tom The Lodge Wood in County Kerry is refusing to fall down despite looking like it’s one strong breeze away from total collapse. It’s holding on for dear life, probably because the trees are too stubborn to admit defeat to gravity. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub.

Explorer Tom Kenmare Stone Circle in Kerry is where two villages once fought over something stupid like who had the better turnips, leaving these stones as permanent witnesses to their grudge. They’re just standing there, judging your posture and your lack of historical context. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom Strickeen was saved by a hero no one remembers because he died of embarrassment from all the wind blowing his hair around. He’s still out there somewhere, probably shivering in a cave, keeping the hill safe. Perfect place to be dramatically windswept.

Explorer Tom Bonane Heritage Park in Kerry has a fiddler who played all night and didn't stop until the sun came up, ruining everyone's sleep. It’s a museum of things that shouldn't have survived but did anyway because they were stubborn. Go on, count the windows and get it wrong like I did.

Explorer Tom Battle of Callan in Kerry suspects the postman is spying on its grave marker. Donal fell here, so it’s got a lot of pride and very little patience. Best visited with a curious kid and no timetable.

Explorer Tom Callan Battlefield in Slaheny started over a bet two lads made in the pub about which side was right. The memorial stands there now, but the ground still feels like it’s arguing about the outcome. Give it a pat on the way past, it's had a long life.

Explorer Tom Knocknamanagh took forty-seven cups of tea to build, according to the local lore, which explains why it looks so slightly damp all year round. The architects were clearly hydrated, but the structural integrity is questionable at best, let’s be honest about that. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights.

Explorer Tom Dunkerron Castle near Kenmare has four storeys and more changes of owner than I have excuses for being late. Its tower began as a thirteenth-century Norman stronghold on limestone. Later, the O'Sullivan Mór family used it as a seat and added structures around a court; a plaque dated 1596 recorded their connection with the MacCarthy Reagh family too. Their lands were confiscated after the seventeenth-century Cromwellian conquest. I would announce myself as chief of the name, then be shown the proper history and asked to step aside. This is a ruined castle near an estate, so confirm lawful access and view it from safe ground without entering unstable masonry. Notice how the tower and later court work together. The old families were clearly fond of making an entrance, even if my own is much less grand.