Glencappul Top

Explorer Tom Mangerton North Top has a ghost living there who is too lazy to actually haunt anyone properly. He just sits on the peak and watches you struggle up the boulders, eating imaginary sandwiches. Dare you to say hello to it out loud.

Explorer Tom Stoompa is haunted by a ghost who is far too lazy to actually haunt anyone, preferring to nap in the bracken instead. It’s got a real chill vibe, but you’d have to be very still to notice anything spooky. Perfect spot to practise your best tour-guide voice.

Explorer Tom Tooreencormick is playing hard to get, sitting on Mangerton like it’s keeping a secret from everyone. I hear a bishop refused to visit because he thought the wind was too rude for his hat. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom If you hear a wild boar at Torc, check whether it is me puffing up the path. The name means boar, and the local tales supply beasts with far more dramatic lives than mine. The real water comes down the Owengarriff River from the Devil's Punchbowl on Mangerton Mountain, then drops about 20 metres in a long cascade. Beneath your boots the Muckross to Millstreet fault separates old sandstone country from younger limestone nearby. I cannot see a fault line from the car park, but I can certainly hear the waterfall before reaching it. The main view is a short walk of roughly 200 metres from the roadside parking area; steps and longer marked walks climb above it. Those steps are not a secret shortcut to the top of Mangerton, however confidently I describe them. Follow the path and let the spray finish my sentence for me.

Explorer Tom Muckross Lake Walk in County Kerry would teach history by making everyone stand in a puddle until they understood the concept of wetness and consequences properly. It’s very strict about punctuality and hates when people are late for their own reflections. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Monterey Cypress in County Kerry has a massive grudge against the narrow road that leads to it. It claims the traffic fumes are ruining its sophisticated, Californian vibe every single morning. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom Muckross House would post a selfie with the caption 'still standing, unlike my reputation' on social media. The oriel windows are judging your outfit as you walk past. Bring your worst joke, the place has heard worse.

Explorer Tom This Scots Pine in County Kerry gave up sweets for Lent, but only the ones it liked. It’s being very selective about its spiritual journey. It's the kind of place that makes a dull Tuesday interesting.

Explorer Tom Church or chapel in Cloghereen Lower was nearly sold for a horse because the owner thought it was a shed. Now it has flat-roofed extensions that look like it grew a second brain. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Muckross Abbey in Kerry gave up meat for Lent but probably snuck some bacon in its windows just to spite the monks who built it all those years ago. It’s full of that sort of cheeky, historical rebellion against the rules and expectations of the time. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights.

Explorer Tom Bog Bay is a bay that hears everything through its muddy walls because it’s got ears like a radar dish tuned in on every secret whispered along the shoreline. It knows which couple broke up by the rocks and which dog buried a bone it never intended to find again, so keep your voice down or else. Bring the dog, it’ll have opinions.

Explorer Tom Castellough Bay has a bird that refuses to leave no matter how much the wind tries to blow it away, and frankly, I envy its commitment to staying put. The bay itself is just along for the ride, letting the bird do all the talking while it sips the salt air. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.