Post box in Slieveroe

Explorer Tom Heathburn Hall gate lodge in Cullen is showing off its rare red brick construction from around 1900. Red brick isn't common out here, so it’s really standing out with those canted bay windows. It marks the entrance to the estate, hinting at old money and grandeur that’s now a bit dusty.

Explorer Tom Cullen Graveyard has headstones dating back to 1766, which is older than you’d expect for a Church of Ireland site. It’s surrounded by an earth embankment called Glebe Land Round. The carved stones are quite artistic. Mind your step, the ground looks uneven here.

Explorer Tom Burnt mound in Kilnahera West: Saint Patrick would probably say this is what happens when you don’t check the fire before leaving for lunch. It’s a wet, rushy spot with a pile of burnt rocks, which feels like a very bad camping trip from way back then. A handy spot to stretch your legs and your imagination.

Explorer Tom Carrigaline Castle in Carrigaline East is hiding behind a lot of ivy and quarried stone. Only half the tower is really standing, but it looks mysterious. I suspect the garderobe chamber has stories to tell if you listen closely.

Explorer Tom Manx2 Flight 7100 is doing a bit of aerial limbo over County Cork. Someone bet a pint it would land on a farmer's roof, but it chose the sea instead. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom Nohaval Cove used to be arrogant, thinking it was better than all the other coves down the coast, until the lime kilns proved it wrong. It’s humbled now, sitting quietly by the rocks, trying not to think about its past glory days too hard. Sit on a wall near it and pretend you're in a painting.

Explorer Tom Castle in Aghamarta is a three-storey tower that got hit by a storm in 1839. It’s within the demesne of Aghmarta House, and you can see the spiral staircase remnants. It’s got a round-arched door too. Look for the vault!

Explorer Tom You might call Kinsale picturesque. The harbour once called it strategic. Kinsale is a town built around a harbour that had to think like a gatekeeper. A charter set up its corporation in 1334, and in 1518 Archduke Ferdinand turned up without an appointment. One of his staff wrote down what he found; I hope somebody at least offered the man a chair. If Ferdinand arrived without warning at my door, he would get tea and a request for notice next time. Later, two forts watched the entrance, James Fort on one side and Charles Fort on the other. Records say a chain could be stretched across the harbour mouth in wartime to stop unwelcome ships. That is a very firm way of saying the port is closed. Look for the older town streets as well as the water, because the town plots still tell you how Kinsale fitted itself around trade and defence. You can wander the town freely; the separate forts have their own visitor arrangements. If I were arriving by sea, I would want to know who was holding the other end of that chain.