For those staying at home for the Easter weekend, there are sporting events, festivals and concerts to attend all around the country.
Among local events taking place in every community, the first Bumble Bee Children's Festival in Tralee, Co Kerry, takes place until Monday. The highlight of the weekend is a carnival parade and open-air circus in the town on Saturday from 1 p.m..
Also in Co Kerry, the World Dance Championships in Killarney continue until Monday and visitors from all over the world have attended.
A more unusual attraction tomorrow is the Celtic Rage fight event at the City West Hotel, Saggart, Co Dublin, at 7.30 p.m.. There will be 15 bouts featuring boxing, karate, Thai-boxing, kickboxing, Kung Fu, and Tae Kwon Do. Another event for children is Fossets Circus, which has a new show with features including Russian trapeze artists. Shows today from 5 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. and tomorrow and Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the grounds next to the Springfield Hotel, Leixlip.
The Limerick Homes and Garden Exhibition will begin tomorrow and continue until Tuesday at the Limerick Racecourse.
The Easter weekend is renowned for sporting events and the highlight will be the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday. The Easter Festival race meeting begins on Sunday and continues until Tuesday.
At the Cork racecourse near Mallow, the race meeting begins tomorrow and continues until Monday.
The Dunboyne Athletics Club annual Easter Sunday road race will be held from 1 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., with between 500 to 600 people expected to take part.
In Croke Park, Dublin, on Sunday, the semi-finals of the National Football League's Division One will take place. The match between Tyrone and Fermanagh will begin at 2 p.m. and the contest between Laois and Armagh at 3.40 p.m..
Concerts and music events in for every taste are being held all around the country. Some of the most notable include an appearance by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa at the Mahony Hall, The Helix, Dublin, tomorrow at 7.30 p.m; the Irish band Woodstar at the Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co Louth, tomorrow at 9 p.m.; and a traditional music and dance performance provided by the Foxford Strawboys at the Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo, on Sunday at 2.30 p.m..
Supermarkets will be open normal hours today and tomorrow but will close on Easter Sunday. This applies to Dunnes Stores, Superquinn and Tesco. They will reopen for normal bank holiday hours on Monday.
Department stores, including Marks & Spencers, Arnotts, and Roches Stores, are open today and tomorrow but will close on Sunday. Bank holiday hours will operate on Monday.
Banks and post offices will be closed today, Sunday and Monday. Most pharmacies will be open today and tomorrow but on Sunday and Monday the roster system will operate.