Moat in Cloghroe

Explorer Tom Inchbeg in Cloghroe has classical proportions and a round-headed door opening that looks like it’s waiting for someone important to arrive. The sliding sash windows are historic, which means they stick when you open them. Tell your mate to push gently or get stuck inside forever.

Explorer Tom That gate lodge in Cloghroe has eaves so overhangy they’re basically flirting with the road. It’s a modest little guard that thinks it’s a castle, all timber windows and serious attitude. Stand there for a sec and let it think you’re important.

Explorer Tom Ballincollig Castle sits high enough to watch the Maglin Valley and low enough for me to imagine I could defend it. The Barrett family bought land here around 1468 and developed the stronghold. The keep, much of the curtain wall and two towers survive above a limestone summit; below is a natural cavern. I would announce a secret tunnel through it, but the source only promises a cavern, so there my adventure must stop. The Barretts had a fine view of the low ground, which mattered far more than my dramatic tales. Check current legal access before approaching, and stay off crumbling walls and any opening in the rock. Look from a safe distance at the enclosure's outline. It is a reminder that a good view once counted as practical defence.

Explorer Tom The Bawn of Ballincollig Castle has a big gap in the east wall. It runs around the edge of the rocky outcrop with rounded corners. There’s a tower inside the corner that matches the bawn wall nicely.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Kilnaglory has a church ruin in the middle that's seen better days. Headstones go back to 1760, so plenty of ancestors are chatting away under the dirt. Give them a wave for me!

Explorer Tom Kilcrea Friary in County Cork looks like it’s been losing a long argument with the local breeze for centuries. The walls are leaning over like they’re checking their phones. Best seen with a hangover and a sausage roll.

Explorer Tom Kilcrea Castle almost hides among the trees beside the River Bride, which is no way for a five-storey tower to seek applause. Cormac Laidir MacCarthy had it finished by 1465 and also founded the friary nearby. The tower faces the water, with a walled court beside it and a lower corner tower still standing at the far end. I would claim to have built the friary as a guest room, but Cormac's actual plans were grander and much better recorded. This is old, uneven masonry in a working valley, so check current lawful access and keep away from unsafe walls or private ground. See the friary on the same outing if its access permits. Look back from the river side before you leave. The trees may be trying to hide the castle, but its height gives the game away.

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.