Leave the city behind and you'll get so much more for your money

IT can't be said often enough that the further out from any city in Ireland you go, the cheaper the cost of housing.

A prime example of this is the village of Cloughduv in Co Cork, where house prices can be 10%, if not 15%, below suburban levels.

In the throes of the new village-style development beloved of planners, Cloughduv might also see a 50-plus house development on the site of the former Cloughduv GAA grounds. Developer Owen O'Callaghan purchased the six-acre site this year for a sum significantly in excess of its €2 million guide price and has a scheme under review by Cork County Council at the moment.