“People strolling up and down the waterfront is a key part of our plan to give this area back to the people, making the place friendly again — a safe place to come to,” says Kelly.

When it comes to design, Dublin has the edge so far. Architecturally the IFSC is considered magnificent — London City by day, laid back by night. Swathes of glass illuminated in the Liffey are nothing short of spectacular, helped by the stylish footwalks and public lighting on the existing waterfront walks. Cork, on the other hand, has still to come up with many of its own designs. A height limit of four to five storeys will restrict its scope. This cannot be helped given the city’s smaller scale. What is disappointing is that many of the buildings already tabled for Cork are somewhat lacklustre. Cork will have an advantage when it comes to ambience. Unlike Dublin, there are very few people living in the southern capital’s existing docklands. This paves the way for a vibrant new community to be brought in without disturbing existing communities.

Despite efforts to marry the substantial existing docklands community with the new arrivals in Dublin, it was something of a shotgun wedding. Old docklanders don’t sup their pints with the area’s bankers. The newer dwellers prefer to head for the city centre for their socialising. The large numbers of investors and short-term lets mean the new Dublin community is largely single, childless and transient.

With the opening of the National College of Ireland, 1,000 students a day now visit the IFSC, which adds to the atmosphere of Dublin’s docks, but it is a drop in the ocean. The area is dead after dark. The restaurants are few and scattered like the pubs and shops and are designed to serve office workers rather than resident communities.

Cork is in a better position to attract a more homely selection of restaurants and businesses in much the same way as Temple Bar did in Dublin. Indeed if potential Cork docklands buyers need to heed a warning, it is the example of Temple Bar, which became a raucous drinking den for tourists because of its central location.

Paul Hudson, an architect, says there is “room for more upmarket, owner-occupier apartments” in Cork’s docklands, with more long-term tenants.

Aesthetically the two developments are different. The hills of Montenotte on Cork’s north side shelter the development making it less austere than its Dublin counterpart.

The good news for Dublin’s dockland community is that property prices are rock solid and can only improve. But this bodes less well for the original dockland community, whose children will be unable to afford to move back to the area, even with the introduction of social housing.

Investors priced out of Dublin will logically turn to Cork, which is likely to be far cheaper, at least for the first few years.

As yet, it is difficult to gauge which development offers an owner-occupier the most attractive package. However, from the point of view of a non-aligned west of Ireland culchie, Cork hedges it, winning on a combination of affordability, “buzz” potential and city-centre convenience.

Which is the winner?

Amenities
Dublin: 5. Identikit restaurant chains, convenience stores and mediocre pubs
Cork: 9. A gourmet’s paradise

Trendiness
Dublin: 6. Be seen in lovely 21st-century spaces during daylight
Cork: 6. Lark by the Lee — particularly after dark

Access and mobility
Dublin: 2. Your boots had better be made for walking — no buses and costly cab rides
Cork: 9. No bones — bang in the heart of the city centre

Architecture and design
Dublin: 7. Clean, light and beautiful!
Cork: 4. It’s still all theory but the plans don’t really break new architectural ground

Convenience of location
Dublin: 3. Not very. Considered out-of-town and rather dead after dark
Cork: 8. Most likely you’ll work no more than a 15-minute walk from your home

Chance of fulfilling overall vision
Dublin: 7. Dublin is already five years into a 25-year plan and is looking established
Cork: 4. The plans are only theory in Cork. It remains to be seen how the designs pan out

Total score: Dublin: 30
Cork: 40

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