The bank holiday weekend promises plenty in terms of sports and entertainment but one thing that will sadly be lacking is good weather.
According to Met Éireann the bad weather seen today is expected to continue over the coming days with showers affecting many areas tomorrow. While conditions will improve as the day continues, it will turn cold in the evening with widespread ground frost and the possibility of some icy patches.
Easter Sunday is forecast to be dry and bright for the morning and afternoon in many areas but wet and windy weather will develop in the west by evening. Rain and strong, southerly winds will extend to remaining parts of the country on Sunday evening, with western counties having spells of heavy rain overnight.
These wet and very windy conditions are expected to persist through Easter Monday and may increase to gale force at times. Additionally, further heavy rainfall will occur in the southwest and west, with 20-25mm accumulating widely and possibly totalling 50mm in parts of Kerry and Cork.
A large number of people are intent on escaping the worse of the weather by heading off to sunnier climes with more than 212,000 passengers expected to travel through Dublin airport over the course of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. A further 55,000 passengers and 12,500 cars will also be travelling across the Irish Sea, according to Stena Line.
For those staying closer to home there's plenty to see and do with a full sporting calendar featuring racing at Cork, Dundalk and Fairyhouse, GAA and of course rugby with Connachct taking on Edinburgh at the Galway Sportsground and Munster meeting with Leinster at Thomond Park.
Restrictions will be in place around the stadium and motorists are advised to expect delays. Bars will open in Limerick for the match following a ruling by city's district court. Pubs will open between 6pm and 11.30pm in Limerick city and the suburbs of Raheen, Castletroy, Annacotty, Corbally and Dooradoyle.
On a different note completely, A Star Wars convention is taking place at Citywest over the weekend with members of the original movie cast, life-size spacecraft, set themes, props and more.
Citizens of Belturbet will be hoping that rain doesn't pour down on their Easter parade which takes place at the Fairgreen on the N3 Dublin/Cavan Road on Sunday. Gardai will implement a stop/go system on the N3/Bridge St to facilitate traffic flow, and motorists should expect delays of up to 15 minutes between 5pm and 6pm.
In Dublin, an Easter 1916 commemoration ceremony will take place at the GPO on O’Connell St on Sunday and motorists are advised that O’Connell St will be closed between O’Connell Bridge and Parnell Square from 5am to 3pm to accommodate the event.
Other Easter-related events taking place this weekend include an old-fashioned garden fete at Airfield Park in Dundrum and the Eggscapoloist puppet show in Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford.
A posse of Irish graffiti artists are bringing their spray cans to the Tivoli for a special live event tomorrow while folk/ballad group The High Kings, The Four Tops, Chris Rea, Fun Lovin' Criminals, and Paul Brady are among the musical acts performing around the country over the coming days.
With more cars than usual on Irish roads this weekend, drivers are urged to take extra care when travelling and to take breaks when feeling tired.
