Hut site in Coorleagh

Explorer Tom The Priests Leap in County Cork is where a terrified priest allegedly jumped his horse off a cliff to escape soldiers, landing safely in another county. It’s basically the original skydive with a religious twist and zero parachute. Look serious, nod slowly, you're basically an expert now.

Explorer Tom Knockboy North Top in County Kerry has a ridiculous smuggling story where a man tried to hide a wheelbarrow full of illegal potatoes inside its rocks. He got caught because the potatoes started growing and broke through the surface, giving away his entire secret stash instantly. Tell me if the gossip I made up is true.

Explorer Tom Coomhola Mountain was nearly sold to a farmer who wanted it as a pasture for his horses, but he got cold feet after seeing the rocks. He left a single horseshoe on top, which is now considered sacred by anyone with a sense of humour. Go before the tourists find out about the horseshoe legend.

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 Crannog is a scale model of a lake dwelling that locals swear was actually built by a giant who just wanted a quiet weekend. It’s cute, but if you tell anyone I said the giant was polite, they’ll laugh. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Cooryleary was built in 1806 before the Gothic Revival got all over the place. The timber windows are classical and fancy, making it look like a very polite old gentleman in a suit.

Explorer Tom Rose Cottage in Cooryleary is obsessed with its artistic bargeboards and ridge cresting. It’s basically the prom queen of architecture. A ha, look at it trying to be fancy while the rest of us are just standing there wondering where we’re going next.

Explorer Tom Tasmanian bluegum in County Cork would teach history by pointing at itself and saying 'I was here when all the empires fell'. It’s basically a living textbook that nobody ever wants to read because it looks so tall. Mind the nettles nearby; they’re the real guards here.

Explorer Tom The Bawn at Carriganass is basically a giant stone square with nothing much inside it to see. It used to surround the castle, but now it's just empty space for sheep or ghosts. I'd bet there are secrets in those walls.

Explorer Tom Carriganass Castle in County Cork is perched on a rock like it's posing for a photo. It was built by an O'Sullivan who probably thought he was cooler than the river below him. He definitely wasn't, but who wants to tell him? Stand on the spot and imagine the gossip it's heard.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Lisheen contains the ruins of Kilmocomogne church and a holy well to the south, which makes for a great combo tour. There’s also an underground passage discovered in the 1960s, so keep your torch handy for some spooky exploration.

Explorer Tom Glengarriff Woods has old oaks that survived a spell when people thought the answer to every forestry question was another conifer. The West Cork woodland is one of Ireland's finest examples of oceanic sessile oak habitat. The state took over roughly 380 hectares in 1955, used parts for timber, then recognised the surviving oak's value and declared a nature reserve in 1991. I would apologise personally to every veteran tree, though that could take the whole afternoon. Check current public trails and any conservation closures, stay on marked paths and let wildlife keep its cover. Look up into the crooked oak canopy and then down at the damp forest floor. The woodland's best trick is doing a huge amount of work very quietly.