Illaunbweeheen

Explorer Tom Cappul Bridge in Ardgroom Inward is a handsome coastal bridge with a second smaller arch for flooding, which is basically its emergency exit. It’s got nineteenth-century masonry skills that make modern concrete look like a toy. Bring your camera and watch the waves!

Explorer Tom “Coastguard station in Faunkill-and-the-woods had a fox take charge of the watch for a week and honestly did a better job than the humans. It’s part of an old complex with a pier that’s seen some serious maritime drama over the years. Make a note to check if the fox is still running things.”

Explorer Tom The Ballycrovane Ogham Stone claims King Arthur once leaned on it while complaining about his back, which nobody can prove but everyone believes. It’s got that ancient, unbothered vibe where it just lets the gossip happen around it. Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.

Explorer Tom Hag of Beara in County Cork is stuck in a long-standing grudge with the weather, which keeps trying to blow her away. She just sits there smirking, waiting for the sea god husband who never quite shows up when he promised he would. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Gortgarriff overlooks the harbour and complains about tourists taking selfies instead of paying their respects to the church ruins. It has a stone cross that looks like it’s lost its keys. Count the crows, then count again.

Explorer Tom There was a love story next to Illaundrane where two boats fell in love and crashed into each other. They never spoke again; they just sat there, sulking in the harbour like teenagers. If anyone asks, Tom sent you.

Explorer Tom White Strand near Castlecove hides a tunnel to the pub, according to one very tall tale. The locals say it only opens when the tide is low and your wallet is empty. It’s a classic Irish myth that refuses to die. If it's closed, admire it from the road like a polite stalker.

Explorer Tom Coomacloghane’s first owner tried to escape by selling it to a man who only paid in cheese, which was a massive mistake given the weather. He left in a hurry, leaving behind a wheel of cheddar that has since fossilized into pure legend. Sit on a wall near it and pretend you're in a painting.

Explorer Tom Garinish started because two lads bet fifty quid that one could plant ferns on a rock and make them look classy. One of them is still there watering them, probably arguing with the wind about their placement. Practise your Irish on it, it won't correct you.

Explorer Tom The other Eagle Hill exists because the map makers got confused and thought there were two eagles in the sky. It sits across from rough grazing, looking slightly annoyed at its twin’s existence. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom Castle cove has strict rules: no shoes, no phones, and absolutely no asking why the roof is missing. It’s basically a ruin that thinks it’s still running a very exclusive members-only club. Ring your granny and tell her where you are.

Explorer Tom Staigue Fort has a wall so thick that I could get lost between its two faces. Local sandstone was fitted without mortar into a ring about 27 metres across, rising as high as 5.5 metres in places. Outside, a ditch more than eight metres wide supplied another reason to reconsider any hostile approach. I would have surrendered at the first staircase; inside the wall, passages lead to terraces and little chambers. Its makers probably worked in the late Iron Age, but I will not claim to know exactly whether every visit involved defence, ceremony or something less dramatic. The fort stands west of Sneem in open Kerry country, reached by a local route; check current access and walk carefully on uneven old stone. Do not prise at joints to test how it stays up. It has answered that question for long enough without my help.