Whether you’re staying in to munch on chocolate or heading out to enjoy the spring weather, we have you covered.

Weather forecast

This weekend will see spells of sunshine and temperatures ranging from 20C to nearly 22C hit the country – making it hotter than some parts of Spain.

Overall, Saturday and Sunday will be fine and dry. Temperatures will soar to a glorious 22C on Friday, and highs of 23C on Saturday.

However, on Easter Saturday some cloudier conditions can be expected with patchy drizzle in the west and northwest of the country in the evening time.

There is some uncertainty as to what Sunday will be like but current indications suggest a generally dry day with temperatures between 16-20C and “the odd shower” in the north or west.

Public transport

A spokesperson for AA Roadwatch said: “Good Friday tends to see a slight uptick in travel out of Dublin as people head away for the long-weekend, but this is likely to be phased throughout the idea and also offset by the fact that schools are on their Easter break already”.

The following changes to public transport timetables will be put in place;

Train:

Rail users can expect significant disruption over the Easter weekend. Irish Rail have advised commuters to check times before travel due to service alterations and major line improvement works.

Works to build underpass and line works will take place on the Dublin to Galway and Westport line from April 19-22. As a result, there will be bus transfers between Tullamore and Ballinasloe for Galway services, as well as between Tullamore and Roscommon for Westport services.

Good Friday will run on a Saturday service with some alterations. A revised timetable will operate between Grand Canal Dock to Newbridge.

Easter Saturday ans Sunday will run a normal weekend service with some alterations, while Easter Monday will run on a Sunday service.

LUAS:

Brides Glen – Laughanstown will be closed on the Green Line on Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st and Bank Holiday Monday 22nd April to facilitate works by Hines Cherrywood Town Centre Development.

Good Friday trams will run Saturday Operating Hours and Frequency, with the first tram at 6.30am.

To facilitate the Easter parade on Sunday, there will be no service between Dominick and St. Stephen’s Green from 7am until around 4.30pm. There will be a replacement Bus Service between Carrickmines and Brides Glen.

On the Red Line, trams may run between Tallaght / Saggart and Smithfield only for short periods to facilitate the parade subject to Garda instructions.

Dublin Bus:

On Good Friday, a weekday service will operate on all routes including Nitelinks with the exception of the routes listed below:

There will be no service on the routes 27x, 31d, 32x, 42d, 46e, 51x, 68x ,70d, 116 and 118.

Saturday will run as normal. On Easter Sunday, a normal Sunday service will be in operation and there will be no Nitelink service. There will be temporary bus diversions in the City Centre to facilitate the Easter Rising Commemorations until approximately 3pm.

On Monday, a Sunday service will be in operation and there will be no Nitelink service.

Bus Eireann:

Normal Friday services will operate with some alterations. The 1440 Athlone/Navan and 1650 Navan/Athlone will be cancelled.

Normal Saturday and Sunday services will operate with some cancellations on Sunday. A Sunday service will operate on Easter Monday.

More information on services can be found here.

What’s On

DUBLIN

Way of the Cross, Phoenix Park

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will lead the Way of the Cross through the Phoenix Park on Good Friday. The procession will proceed from Wellington Monument at 12pm to the Papal Cross.

For events nationwide, seecatholicbishops.ie/2019/04/15/holy-week-and-easter-2019/

Cocoa Atelier’s Easter egg decorating workshop

Try your hand at decorating your own chocolate eggs just in time for Easter with Dollard & Co Irish artisanal chocolate producer Cocoa Atelier.

Saturday, 11am and 1pm, at Dollard & Co, Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Tickets €25 with booking fee, eventbrite.ie

Red Bull Free Gaff

The three Red Bull Free Gaff nights taking place in Ballsbridge, Dublin are fully sold out, but there are still limited tickets to the Sunday Brunch (12pm to 5pm) with live performances from hip hop and electronic acts across the Garden Stage, redbull.ie/freegaff

Rock Against Homelessness

Deirdre O’Kane will join a phenomenal line-up, including Camille O’Sullivan, Aidan Gillen, Finbar Furey, Tommy Fleming, Natty Wailer, Duke Special, the Celtic Tenors and some very special guests for the concert at the Olympia Theatre in aid of Focus Ireland on Tuesday night.

Laura Whitmore will be the MC. Tickets are available for €35 at ticketmaster.ie

GALWAY

Volunteer with MADRA

MADRA (Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption) in Galway is inviting volunteers to visit from 12-4pm Saturday, Sunday or Monday to spend time with their shelter dogs, madra.ie

CORK

Easter Beer Festival

The award-winning beer garden of the Franciscan Well Brewpub will have 20 of the country’s most innovative brewers celebrating their offerings. Friday, 5pm to late. Check out the Facebook page for more information.

Check out our full guide on what’s on this Easter weekend here: Music, mutts and lots of chocolate – how to enjoy this Easter

Warnings;

Gardai:

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have launched an Easter bank holiday weekend road safety appeal with the focus on speeding and motorists who still insist on using mobile phones while driving.

The Easter safety campaign is the biggest test of the year so far for Gardaí with the largest number of traffic movements since Christmas and an estimated two million people taking to Irish roads for festive journeys.

RSA chief executive Moyagh Murdock urged motorists to adhere to the rules of the road – and the ensure that the primary objective of every journey is to arrive safely and without incident.

Pet owners:

Dogs Trust said the Easter weekend can be a “recipe for disaster” if dogs get their paws on chocolate eggs.

Dogs Trust Veterinary Surgeon, Desré Daly, said that dogs should never be allowed to eat chocolate intended for human consumption, which can have potentially tragic consequences for dogs.

“It is the theobromine, a substance found in chocolate, which can be toxic to dogs. An individual dog’s sensitivity to chocolate is variable and depending on their body weight (and the type of chocolate ingested), even just a small bite of chocolate can make some dogs very sick, and in significant enough quantities, death could result,” Ms Daly said.

“When a dog eats chocolate, the theobromine metabolizes more slowly than it does in humans. Theobromine interferes with the normal functioning of the central nervous system, heart and kidneys.

Pet specialist retailer Petmania have also warned against hot cross buns and Easter flowers.

Raisins in hot cross buns can cause severe acute kidney failure in cats and dogs, the retailer said.

“Eating the bulbs, flowers, or even drinking water from a vase with flowers can cause a very sick stomach and can make the pet vomit,” a spokesperson said.

Hayfever and asthma sufferers:

Met Eireann have warned asthma and hayfever sufferers that the pollen count is set to rocket this weekend.

“With dry, settled and increasingly warm temperatures over the next few days the tree pollen risk will rise to high across all regions,” the forecaster said.

However, the grass and weed pollen risk will be low.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) is advising sufferers to consult with their local pharmacist about the best treatment methods for them.

Read more about the warning here:
Warning issued to asthma and hay fever sufferers as temperatures to hit 22C

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