GOOD NEWS for those with weekend plans: Met Éireann is forecasting that the rain expected for this weekend will blow away, leaving sunny skies for egg hunters to forage under on Easter Sunday.
While tomorrow will be cold and breezy with rain and sleet for a time and widespread frost at night, Easter Sunday will start dry, bright and fairly sunny according to the weather forecaster.
The Easter skies will also be brightened up by a hot-air balloon fiesta taking place in Co Meath. Trim Castle will host a unique gathering of special shaped hot-air balloons from today until Monday. Easter egg hunts, face-painting, carousels, storytelling, balloon modelling, inflatable games and festival-style market stalls will also take place.
In rugby, Munster will play Leinster at Thomond Park tonight at 8.05pm. Restrictions will be in place and motorists are advised to expect delays. Also in the Magners League, Connacht will take on Edinburgh at 6pm this evening at the Galway Sportsground.
The Titanic Made in Belfast festival will take place from tomorrow until Sunday, April 11th. Among the events are a Titanic – Past and Presentexhibition in Belfast City Hall, Titanic talks and a Titanic commemoration service.
In Dublin, an Easter 1916 commemoration ceremony will take place at the GPO on O’Connell Street this Sunday. O’Connell Street will be closed between O’Connell Bridge and Parnell Square from 5am to 3pm to accommodate the event.
For kids, a number of Easter egg hunts are taking place. In Co Westmeath, Glendeer Pet Farm is holding an egg hunt at 3pm tomorrow, Sunday and Monday. At Newgrange Farm in Co Louth, children can take part in painted egg competitions, a quiz and a sheep race with teddies as jockeys.
At the GAA museum in Dublin, people are invited to take part in an “eggstra” special Croke Park stadium tour with clues to locate some chocolate eggs.
There will also be a ‘madhatters tea party’ in Deerpark, Dublin, on Sunday, complete with a tea cup ride, giant chess, croquet, a hat walk, balloons and an Easter trail.
In Co Clare, the Easter bunny will be making an appearance at the Ailwee Cave treasure hunt for kids, while in Co Louth, Scotch Hall in Drogheda will be hosting a chocolate Easter bunny hunt at 2pm on Sunday and an Easter egg workshop, where children can paint their own Easter eggs.
Racing will also feature over the weekend at Cork, Fairyhouse and Dundalk racecourses from Saturday.