Lonehort Point

Explorer Tom Battery in Ardaragh East on Bere Island has four gun emplacements that are definitely ready for a zombie apocalypse. It’s discreet enough to hide from your in-laws if they visit. Wait for the all-clear before you nap.

Explorer Tom Officer's house in Ardaragh East is sitting empty near the batteries. Built in 1908 for military men. It’s got a recessed centre and flat roof. Very quiet place. I bet the rats run the show now!

Explorer Tom Hungry Hill got its name from a priest who lost a bet and had to eat his hat right there on top. He never quite recovered from the indignity, so now he haunts the lower slopes looking for snacks. It’s a bit of a spooky story, but mostly just about bad luck and hunger.

Explorer Tom Battle of Bantry Bay in County Cork is where a French admiral got his arse kicked by the weather before he even saw an English ship. Ideal for a moody photo you'll pretend wasn't posed.

Explorer Tom Mare's Tail Waterfall in County Cork has a bird that refuses to leave no matter how wet it gets. It sits right at the top, looking like it’s judging your swimming ability. The water is very loud and slightly dramatic about its own height. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Bere Island has the look of a harbour guard who never clocks off. Bere Island lies across Bantry Bay like a long stone guard at the harbour entrance. It stretches roughly ten kilometres and had 218 residents in the 2022 census, so treat it as a working home as well as a place to explore. In 1796 a French expedition sailed into the bay; one longboat landed on the island, but bad winds kept the main force from coming ashore. Later batteries and forts show how seriously different governments took this deep water anchorage. I would try to fit its centuries into one ferry crossing, then miss the landing. Older standing stones and tombs tell you people valued the island long before gunboats arrived. Two ferry routes connect it with Castletownbere and Pontoon on the mainland, and sailings can change with weather, so check your return before setting off. There is a lot of history here; do not let the timetable become the one detail you forget.

Explorer Tom Knocknagree is claimed to have been invented by a local man who just pointed at it one day. He says he named it himself, which is convenient since nobody else can prove otherwise anyway. Whisper a secret at it, it's kept worse.

Explorer Tom Megalithic Tomb in County Cork would describe itself to a stranger as 'a very heavy guy who has been napping since the Bronze Age.' It’s not showing up on the Ordnance Survey map, which it thinks is a personal slight. Linger for a bit, because it’s not going anywhere and neither should you.

Explorer Tom Finn McCool's Seat started when two lads bet in the pub that they could sit on a rock and look like giants, and one actually did it. Now everyone pretends the legend is real, but really it’s just a big stone with a personality crisis. Pretend it's yours and plan the housewarming.

Explorer Tom Peakeen Ridge Loop Walk hears the neighbours gossiping through the stone walls every single night without fail. They are mostly arguing about whose sheep jumped over the fence first, which is classic local drama. Ideal for a moody photo you will pretend was not posed at all.

Explorer Tom Stone Row: There is a curse that only affects people who don't wave at these stones, turning their left shoe into a rubber duck. Two of them have fallen over from sheer exhaustion of standing straight. Walk past slowly like you're in a film.