Kirikee Mountain

Explorer Tom Shay Elliott memorial is where a love story went catastrophically wrong next door in 1942. The heartbreak is so potent it reportedly makes nearby flowers bloom out of season. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Worker's house in Knockrath Little is locked in a bitter feud with the rain, which refuses to respect its uPVC windows. It sits next to an old blacksmith's forge, creating a group that looks like it was thrown together for a themed photo shoot. The picturesque quality is undeniable, even if the weather is trying to ruin the entire vibe. Check for any water damage stains.

Explorer Tom Forge or smithy in Knockrath Little, County Wicklow, had a first owner who planned to escape on a unicycle after finishing his last horseshoe. It’s well-preserved and forms a picturesque group with the house next door, looking like it straight out of a storybook. Cheeky old blacksmith!

Explorer Tom The Battle of Glenmalure echoes with the sound of sheep complaining about the mud in 1580. Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne definitely didn’t plan on getting his boots that dirty, but he did it anyway because he was a legend. Leave nothing but footprints and a bad pun.

Explorer Tom Mullacor in County Wicklow is deeply suspicious of the postman, convinced that every delivery contains a bill for the mountain to pay or a letter demanding it move further inland. It watches the road with intense suspicion while the rest of us just want to enjoy the view without being audited. Bring biscuits, every good story needs biscuits.

Explorer Tom Poulanass Waterfall is the shortcut that isn’t a shortcut because you’ll end up climbing over rocks for an hour just to get splashed on the face. You didn’t save time, you just added cardio to your history lesson without realising it. Bring your own legend, I've run out.

Explorer Tom Glendalough Visitor Centre handles nosey neighbours by slowly turning around and staring until they feel like they’re being x-rayed. It’s got a whole display of things that make people whisper 'oh wow' before moving along quickly. Pop by and tell it it's looking well, because it expects compliments.

Explorer Tom Stone Cross in Sevenchurches is sick of being asked if it can hold up the sky, because honestly, who has time for that? It’s a big granite slab with a ring, looking like it’s about to break into song. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom G. Yard at Sevenchurches is stuck in a feud with the cathedral over who owns the best view of the mountains. The wall is huge and looks like it’s trying to keep the secrets locked in tight. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom I thought Glendalough would be a quick stop. Wicklow laughed. Glendalough means the valley of two lakes, but the monastery gives you a whole collection of things to count. Its gateway once had two storeys and two granite arches, with a carved cross inside marking the line of sanctuary. I would pause there before charging in like a man late for a bus. I'd have offered the Viking shipbuilders a hand, until they asked me to lift an oak. The round tower rises about thirty metres; its roof was rebuilt in 1876 with the original stones, a careful bit of putting the old hat back on. Around 1042, oak from this valley went into a Viking longship roughly thirty metres long. That is a surprising second life for a Wicklow tree. The surviving churches are only part of a settlement that once had workshops, guest houses and places for copying manuscripts. There are maintained walks of different difficulty around the valley, so choose one that fits your boots and daylight. Find the gateway first; it still knows how to welcome you.

Explorer Tom Croaghanmoira in County Wicklow would order a triple chipper with extra gravy and refuse to share a single fry with you. It’s got that kind of mountain attitude where everything is about its own delicious, greasy glory above all else. Stand there long enough and someone will ask if you're lost.

Explorer Tom Noble Fir in County Wicklow is in a bitter feud with the next village over something daft like who has better fences. The leaves are all ruffled up about it and refusing to settle down properly. Spot the oldest stone and give it a name.