The picturesque town of Cóbh (pronounced ‘Cove' and known before 1921 as Queenstown) is situated on Great Island in Cork harbour, at the end of what must be one of Ireland's loveliest railway stretches. Trains from Cork leave every 45 minutes or so. The Queenstown Story at the Cóbh Heritage Centre (tel: (021) 481 3591; www.cobhheritage.com) at the old railway station recreates the experiences of the 2.5 million Irish emigrants who left Ireland from here between 1848 and 1950. Cobh was also the last port of call for the Titanic.

The harbour town of Kinsale, 29km (18 miles) south of Cork, is another gem, famous for its gourmet seafood restaurants, high-end craft shops, pubs, fine sailing, watersports and many other activities (www.kinsale.ie). Bus 249 travels between Cork and Kinsale (journey time - 50 minutes).