Kiln in Lisballyhay

Explorer Tom Ballyhoura Lodge has projecting end bays that give it real character and substance. The slate roof is interesting enough to make you stare for hours. It’s ideal for spotting ghosts or just really nice architecture.

Explorer Tom Ballyhoura Bridge smells like wet wool and old dreams, according to my sensitive nose. It’s built at a skew to the stream because straight lines were all the rage then, apparently. The limestone is high-tech for its time, so don’t underestimate its ability to outlast your car tires.

Explorer Tom Templeconnell Castle is a five-storey tower that looks like it went to war with gravity and lost slightly. The Percivals took over in 1656 after the Magners got tired of the drama. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes and feel ancient.

Explorer Tom Kilcolman Castle gave Edmund Spenser a tower, thousands of acres and scenery for The Faerie Queene, yet the building refused to stay whole. James FitzGerald first built the Cork tower in the 1420s. Spenser received it with about 3,028 acres in the 1580s and lived there for a decade while writing. It was destroyed in 1598, rebuilt by his son and lost again in 1622. I would claim my own verse could have kept the roof on, but the history is unkind to that boast. The ruin stands near Kilcolman Bog, an old landscape worth seeing in its own right. Check lawful access and view from safe ground; do not enter unsafe remains or cross private land for a literary photograph. The castle's walls failed twice, but its place in a book travelled much farther.

Explorer Tom This Sycamore in County Cork would survive a zombie attack by just standing very still and hoping they forget it exists. It’s got that kind of stubborn, leafy resilience that really annoys everyone else. Ideal spot for making a dramatic phone call to your mate.

Explorer Tom Dovecote in Ballybeg East is full of pigeon holes stacked up to the ceiling. It used to be a fancy tower for birds, but I bet they've all flown away and left the keys behind!

Explorer Tom Doneraile Court's gates in Demesne are a triumphal arch, which is fancy talk for 'big gate.' One side is Ionic, the other Doric, so it’s got commitment issues with architecture. There’s a curse that only affects people who don't wave at it. Have your phone ready.

Explorer Tom This Sweet Chestnut in County Cork is bitter because the one next door gets all the tourists asking for photos. It’s just standing there with its arms crossed, pretending not to care about the attention difference. Practise your Irish on it; it won’t correct your grammar.

Explorer Tom Doneraile House has had enough changes to make my wardrobe look steady. The St Legers began shaping the Cork estate in the seventeenth century, and a new front around 1730 gave the house much of its later face. Around it spread some 160 hectares of walled parkland, now open to the public. I would offer to trim the whole place, then quietly put the shears down after the first hedge. The family bred horses here and kept adding buildings and gardens as tastes changed. State care later opened the house and grounds to visitors, though indoor tours and park hours may differ. Check current access before travelling and keep to public paths around working or private areas. Look at the house from the long approach. It is grand, but the park makes it feel like one part of a bigger day out.