Hi stuart, I lived in Cork also, and now live in Amsterdam. Housing is expensive here. Expect to pay around 1000 a month for the city centre (for small) or for nice (on the edges). Groceries, public transport and in places, eating out is cheaper than home. Taxes are higher though
One thing to note, is that I found services and customer care were much better in Ireland, here I often hear "that's not possible". Note also, that it rains just as much here as in Ireland