Paddy Cosgrave

Explorer Tom Lugduff in County Wicklow is currently under the strict management of a very opinionated dog who barks at every cloud and demands treats from hikers who just want peace. The summit view is nice, but the real boss is definitely that terrier sitting on the path looking judgmental. Make up your own legend and I'll swear it's true.

Explorer Tom Miners' Village is hiding a treasure that is definitely just a rusty biscuit tin full of old buttons. The legend says it’s gold, but we all know it’s just someone’s lost lunch from 1920. It's the kind of place that makes a dull Tuesday interesting.

Explorer Tom Tomaneena had a perfectly good local name until the electricity people arrived and began calling it Turlough Hill. The Wicklow mountain rises 681 metres, with an upper reservoir feeding Ireland's pumped-storage power station when demand climbs. That station can produce up to 292 megawatts, which is a more useful trick than my promise to pedal a generator. Historian Liam Price recorded the older name; the newer one came with the power scheme. Granite, bog and hardy upland plants still sit around the engineering. A road from Wicklow Gap reaches toward the summit, but the station is working equipment, not a playground. Check current walking access and weather, stay out of restricted areas and keep to safe routes. Look from the reservoir toward the hilltop. You can see an old landscape and a modern answer to a very practical problem in one glance.

Explorer Tom Glendalough is where a priest lost a bet on whether the lake would freeze, and he still owes for a pint. He’s been hiding there ever since, which explains why it looks so mysterious and full of secrets. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

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 Saint Kevin's Bed in County Wicklow started because two lads bet their bikes on who could nap longest on a rock. One woke up with a stone in his shoe, but the legend stuck anyway, proving that laziness can become holy if you wait long enough. Perfect detour when the satnav has a meltdown.

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 Wicklow Gap makes crossing mountains look easy because somebody laid a road through the argument. The R756 climbs to about 475 metres between Tonelagee and the Turlough Hill side, linking the country toward Dunlavin with Glendalough. Saint Kevin's Way crosses too, giving walkers a very different pace from my optimistic driving. On an exceptionally clear day, the Welsh mountains can appear across the sea. I would promise that view on demand, but even my cheek cannot order the weather around. The pass is open road and exposed upland, so check conditions, park only where allowed and never wander into traffic for a photograph. Look at the slopes on both sides before heading down. A gap is simply a mountain's way of letting you through on its own terms.

Explorer Tom Cloigtheach in Sevenchurches would tell you in a job interview that he has excellent stability and zero need for a desk. He’s thirty metres of pure granite attitude, standing there while the wind tries to push him over. Stand still and listen, the wind tells it better than me.

Explorer Tom Glendalough Round Tower would take its lotto win and buy a really expensive hat to match its ancient style. It’s been standing there long enough to know that fashion is just a suggestion anyway. Practise your Irish on it, it won't correct you, but the wind definitely will.

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 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.