Mill in Mountrivers

Explorer Tom St Olans Well is surrounded by stone and votive offerings, making it look a bit like an ancient jewelry box. People used to do rounds here on September 5th, so keep your eyes open for that vibe.

Explorer Tom Dromatimore House had a prophecy that it would become a castle, but instead it just became a very fancy cross-shaped house. It’s got bowed breakfronts that make it look like it’s about to hug the world. Wave at its cruciform plan from the short drive if you dare.

Explorer Tom St Eolan's Roman Catholic Church in Rylane, County Cork broke the mold after Vatican II with its light design. I bet it smells like expensive incense and secret gossip. Hear the echo of my name inside for me!

Explorer Tom Mullinhassig Waterfall hides in a small Cork woodland near Coachford, where the Glashagarriff River cuts between rock outcrops before throwing itself into a pool. You hear the water before it grants you the full performance. Tom has seen bigger stages, but few with a better sound system or a more effective way of soaking an overconfident shoe. Coillte manages the roughly eight-hectare wood and describes the waterfall near its north-western end as the place's jewel. The trees include oak, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and Japanese larch, while rock formations give the short walk its rugged character. Local folklore says the pool below the fall has no bottom; take that as a story, not an invitation to test it. The water and rock need no depth contest. Coillte gives a small parking spot about four kilometres from Coachford, reached by following the R618 west and turning north at Glashagarriff Bridge. Its map marks the forest paths, parking and a waterfall, and explicitly warns that tracks shown outside Coillte land do not create a right of way. Follow the managed woodland route rather than cutting across neighbouring ground. The paths can be steep, muddy and slippery after rain, so wear footwear that can cope and admire the water from firm ground. The names around this wood can be confusing: a local heritage account distinguishes the historic Mullinhassig fall from Poulanassig, another fall nearby. Keep your visit grounded in Coillte's signed woodland route and its mapped waterfall instead of chasing an uncertain pin through private land. The reward is a rushing river, dramatic stone and a woodland that makes a small area feel delightfully wild. Let the waterfall do the boasting.

Explorer Tom Mullinhassig Wood hides a waterfall beside the Glashagarriff River, a few kilometres from Coachford, and its Irish name points towards a waterfall pool. I followed that clue through the trees and found the river making enough noise to drown out even my best directions. Coillte manages this small County Cork wood, about eight hectares around the river. Its trees include oak, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and Japanese larch. Rock outcrops interrupt the slopes, especially along the upper trail, while the waterfall sits towards the north-western end of the property. A tracking mill once stood to the south-east, so people worked this landscape long before visitors came hunting a picture of falling water. Local folklore says the pool beneath the falls has no bottom. I am not volunteering to check with a ruler, and neither should you: that is a tale to enjoy from safe ground, not a challenge to enter the water. The real falls have plenty of drama without help from me. Listen to the river, watch where the rock breaks its flow and give the quieter parts of the wood a chance to steal the show. Coillte describes a small parking place near Aghavrin crossroads, reached from the Coachford side by the road past Glashagarriff Bridge. Use the forest paths and any posted guidance; damp rock and river edges deserve proper care. There is no need to hunt for a secret entrance or assume that every track leads to the falls. Mullinhassig is compact enough to explore patiently, and loud enough to tell you when the waterfall is near.

Explorer Tom Carrignamuck Tower House in County Cork is standing in the grounds of Dripsey Castle, looking slightly out of place. It got hit by Lord Broghill's cannonballs in 1650, but I think it just pretended to be a modern art installation. Now it looks like something you'd find in a very confusing dream. Bring a flask of something warm and a story to swap.

Explorer Tom Carrigadrohid Castle in County Cork is playing hard to get, like it’s waiting for a really good deal on its own walls. Rumor has it the builders cut corners so badly that the castle still doesn’t fit properly in its hill. Find a local and ask them the real story, then come back and tell me.

Explorer Tom Carrigadrohid Castle is standing in water because someone decided to build a dam nearby. It's basically an island now, which is very dramatic. The MacCarthys built this back in the fifteenth century, so it's seen some stuff!

Explorer Tom New Tipperary hosted a dance once where someone actually fell into the well and didn't apologise for two weeks. It’s now just a little info point that’s seen better centuries. Bring the dog, it'll have opinions.

Explorer Tom Farran Wood in County Cork is where that one stubborn cow tried to buy the whole lot with a single coin and walked away looking smug. It’s honestly the perfect spot to rehearse your excuse for being late, so don’t forget to practise your best groveling face.

Explorer Tom Carrigagulla Stone Circle near Millstreet is a small Bronze Age ring in a clearing among conifers, where five stones once made the full company. I nearly marched past expecting a giant monument; these stones prefer a quieter audience, and the trees have done a remarkably good job of keeping their secret. Cork County Council lists this exact circle as one of its archaeological places to visit and records it as a five-stone circle. Another, larger circle lies nearby in a pasture field, so take care not to give the wrong stones the credit for this one. Look at the clearing and the space between the uprights. Even a modest ring changes the way you notice the ground around it, especially when the forest presses close on every side. The circle belongs to a wider prehistoric landscape around Carrigagulla, with other stone settings in the area. We cannot hear the conversations of the people who set these stones, or assign one neat purpose to every gap. I could claim they were waiting for a meeting of ancient forestry inspectors, but the trees arrived rather late for that appointment. The sensible pleasure is to see how a handful of stones can still hold a place together after many centuries. The council's visitor guide gives the circle's position in a forestry clearing, but forest routes and ground conditions can change. Use its map and current local access information before travelling, stay on permitted paths and leave the stones untouched. This is a quiet visit rather than a grand attraction. Give the little ring a few minutes and it becomes much larger in the imagination.