House in Lyre

Explorer Tom Post box in Boher has got a P&T emblem on the cast-iron box from around 1930. It’s a reminder of when Ireland changed up its post boxes. The royal cipher is gone now. Look at that display panel, it’s neat!

Explorer Tom Hungry Hill got its name from a priest who lost a bet and had to eat his hat right there on top. He never quite recovered from the indignity, so now he haunts the lower slopes looking for snacks. It’s a bit of a spooky story, but mostly just about bad luck and hunger.

Explorer Tom Battery in Ardaragh East on Bere Island has four gun emplacements that are definitely ready for a zombie apocalypse. It’s discreet enough to hide from your in-laws if they visit. Wait for the all-clear before you nap.

Explorer Tom Mare's Tail Waterfall in County Cork has a bird that refuses to leave no matter how wet it gets. It sits right at the top, looking like it’s judging your swimming ability. The water is very loud and slightly dramatic about its own height. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Knocknagree is claimed to have been invented by a local man who just pointed at it one day. He says he named it himself, which is convenient since nobody else can prove otherwise anyway. Whisper a secret at it, it's kept worse.

Explorer Tom Bere Island has the look of a harbour guard who never clocks off. Bere Island lies across Bantry Bay like a long stone guard at the harbour entrance. It stretches roughly ten kilometres and had 218 residents in the 2022 census, so treat it as a working home as well as a place to explore. In 1796 a French expedition sailed into the bay; one longboat landed on the island, but bad winds kept the main force from coming ashore. Later batteries and forts show how seriously different governments took this deep water anchorage. I would try to fit its centuries into one ferry crossing, then miss the landing. Older standing stones and tombs tell you people valued the island long before gunboats arrived. Two ferry routes connect it with Castletownbere and Pontoon on the mainland, and sailings can change with weather, so check your return before setting off. There is a lot of history here; do not let the timetable become the one detail you forget.

Explorer Tom Battle of Bantry Bay in County Cork is where a French admiral got his arse kicked by the weather before he even saw an English ship. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Dinish Island in County Cork would bring a bottle of wine and a very bad playlist to any party it attended. It doesn’t care if you dance or sit in the corner, as long as you acknowledge its existence before leaving. Mind the nettles, they're the real guards here.

Explorer Tom Finn McCool's Seat started when two lads bet in the pub that they could sit on a rock and look like giants, and one actually did it. Now everyone pretends the legend is real, but really it’s just a big stone with a personality crisis. Pretend it's yours and plan the housewarming.