Illaunsillagh

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 Scart House in Scart is being picked on by the wind because it’s too pretty for its own good. Built in ’23, it’s got a basement that feels like a secret club you can’t get into. Stop the car, it's worth the hazard lights.

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.

Explorer Tom Coastguard station in Coad has a long grudge against the weather for ruining its ruins. It was once a sanatorium, which makes the damp feel even more personal. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Eagles Hill has a hidden treasure buried under the ridge that is definitely just an old biscuit tin filled with rust, but locals swear it holds ancient gold. They refuse to dig because they’re too scared of what might be inside, which is probably nothing. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.

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 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 Caherdaniel Stone Fort in Kerry has confused map makers so badly they gave up and started guessing. The name is long enough to make your head spin before you even get there. Go before the tourists find out.

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 De Gaulle Memorial in Sneem is where a French president visited and apparently left his ego permanently anchored to the rocks. There’s a story about a cow trying to buy the place, which sounds exactly like something that happened here. Go before the tourists find out.