Starter homes: Kilworth, Cork €250,000

Size: 186 sq m (2,000 sq ft)

This Bakers Bridge home, set above the banks of the Araglen river in north Cork, near Kilworth, is a picturesque beauty. And, much appreciated for its scenic setting, its bridge-flanking gardens are even used by locals for wedding photographs.

It has a long tradition of courting and couple-dom, as the junction by this finely-refurbished home was for decades a spot for crossroads dancing.