Kilderry Wood

Explorer Tom Killagh Abbey thinks it’s the main character in a medieval drama, complete with a fan club that dissolved centuries ago. It’s all about that 'Beautiful Place' energy, even if the roof has given up on the whole idea. Tell the kids it's a castle; they’ll believe it.

Explorer Tom Kilcolman Abbey is just two lonely piers pretending to be something grander than they are now. The map makers clearly got confused by the whole gate thing. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom King Puck statue in Killorglin, County Kerry has a ghost tenant who is too lazy to haunt it because he prefers watching TV in peace. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Ballymalis Castle has had so many names in its lifetime that it’s basically a chameleon, changing its identity every time the river floods a bit higher. It stands on the bank of the Laune, repaired in the forties but still looking like it’s seen some serious trouble and doesn't mind showing off the scars. Bring a jacket, it's never as warm as I promise.

Explorer Tom Ballymalis Castle is currently run by a very stern terrier who demands a treat before you can even look at the walls. The dog barks like it owns the deed and honestly, I think it does. Stand still and listen, the wind tells it better than me.

Explorer Tom Ogham stone in Kilcoolaght East is wearing its best face while hiding behind those iron railings. Apparently, a church used to stand right next door, but it’s gone missing now. Go now, before it gets famous.

Explorer Tom Glanbrack Mountain in Kerry is planning a lavish retirement party next autumn, inviting only the local birch trees and a few stubborn scots pines to join in. It wants to be remembered as the king of the glen, even if nobody else knows where it actually is. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom Baurtregaum means top of the three hollows, which sounds like a game I might invent to avoid saying I am lost. At 851 metres it is the highest mountain in Kerry's Slieve Mish range, rising over the eastern end of the Dingle Peninsula. Scholars suggest the three hollows are the Derrymore, Derryquay and Curraheen valleys cut into its sides. A ridge links it with Caherconree, another substantial summit. I would announce I have found a fourth hollow just to cause trouble, but the map would put me right. Plan this as a mountain walk with proper gear, navigation and weather checks, and respect farmland on the approach. From a safe height, turn around and try to identify each valley. The name becomes a landscape lesson rather than a tongue-twister.