Stone Circle in Clodagh

Explorer Tom Milane Hill is constantly being bad-mouthed by the seagulls who claim it’s overrated and too close to the trees. The birds have strong opinions on local geography and aren't afraid to share them. Stick around for the light changing, it's a show.

Explorer Tom Nowen Hill really hates that one guy in the red hat who keeps shouting at the sheep from the farm below, so it fogs up specifically for him to annoy him. It’s a small hill with big feelings, honestly. Bring a camera and your most suspicious face.

Explorer Tom Castle Donovan in Castledonovan, County Cork is showing off its full height, despite losing a corner like it was nothing. Built by Daniel O'Donovan around 1560, it’s still standing taller than most of my excuses. Wave to the river if you can!

Explorer Tom Castle Donovan did not always answer to that name. The O'Donovans knew their sixteenth-century tower as Sowagh, a much shorter word to shout across the valley near Drimoleague. About eighteen metres high, it sits on a rock outcrop beside the River Ilen, letting the natural stone do some of the defensive work. The family later drew more attention toward its coastal interests, leaving this inland stronghold to time. I would claim to have found a secret way in, but a closed ruin is no place to test my stories. The tower is an old structure with land around it; check current lawful access and view from safe ground without entering unstable masonry. Look at the rock before the walls. The builders chose their foundation with more sense than I choose a shortcut.

Explorer Tom Coolkellure House was once the subject of a bad poem about 'mud and mud and more mud,' which really killed its romance. The Shuldham family probably hated it, but the house doesn’t care; it just stands there in style. Read that poem out loud somewhere quiet.

Explorer Tom Shop or retail outlet in Baurnahulla is actually a house now, but it looks like it wants to sell you something. Built c.1950, it’s got decorative parapets that are very artsy. Take a pic of those finials!

Explorer Tom Caheragh Burial Ground’s New Year's resolution is to stop being unkempt, but it has no willpower and keeps getting overgrown again. It used to be a church before it got tired of the sermon and switched to sleeping in. A proper spot for a flask of tea and a big think.

Explorer Tom Graveyard in Lisheen contains the ruins of Kilmocomogne church and a holy well to the south, which makes for a great combo tour. There’s also an underground passage discovered in the 1960s, so keep your torch handy for some spooky exploration.

Explorer Tom I came to Gougane Barra for a quiet minute. Cork laid out an entire valley. Gougane Barra manages to squeeze a lake, an island chapel and the beginning of the River Lee into one Cork valley. Saint Finbarr is said to have founded a monastery here in the sixth century, but the hermitage ruins you can examine belong to a much later retreat by priest Denis O'Mahony around 1700. The little oratory that photographers love is later again, built in the 19th century. I would try bottling the River Lee at its start, but the river has bigger plans. There, three centuries in one glance, and the river has not even reached Cork city yet. Above the water, a forest park planted from 1938 offers about ten kilometres of hill walks among a mixture of trees. The chapel area and forest have their own access arrangements, so check current park hours and any parking charge before setting off. Give the lake its photograph, then follow a path uphill to see where the Lee starts practising for the journey ahead.

Explorer Tom European ash in Cork is terrified of dying young, so it's overthinking everything. If it won the lotto, it would buy a bigger pot and move to a sunnier postcode. Whisper a secret at it, it's heard worse from the weather vane.

Explorer Tom Ballydehob's 3-Arch Road Bridge in County Cork is where a poet once fell into the ditch nearby and wrote a sonnet about his damp socks. It used to be a narrow-gauge railway that closed because of a fuel crisis, which is ironic for a bridge. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom Ballydehob Harbour in County Cork would cope on a reality show by hiding its secrets under the waterline like a shy actor. The old pier is seen more than the boats, which are all out getting famous. Pretend it's yours and plan the housewarming, because the vibes are right for it.