Frost and snow made for a quiet start to the sales in many places outside Dublin. In Galway, about 30 people waited for Brown Thomas to open at 9 a.m. Ms Anita Murphy said the sale was going well, with people focusing on fashions and household goods. A Vero Moda spokeswoman in Eyre Square Centre, where the sale started before Christmas, said the city centre was quiet. The manager of Awear in New Edward's Square said sales were good. Snow lay over Sligo town and roads were treacherous, according to Wallis manager Ms Therese O'Loughlin. A "hard core of shoppers" waited outside at 9.30 a.m. but it was generally quiet through the morning. In Cork, the dry crisp weather may have been responsible for the brisk trade enjoyed by Brown Thomas yesterday, said manager Mr Alan Reidy.