The first bank of the holiday of summer kicks off for most people when they down tools today and the ireland.comrunes suggest the sun will be shining, the joints will be rocking and the roads will be packed.
The 'Juggernaut of Rock' rolls into the capital tonight. While Josh Ritter provides a gentle starter to a beefy menu dominated by the ancien regime, the real schools-out mood will come from Alice Cooper at the Olympia.
Tomorrow, things will be a little more middle-aged with Supergrass at the same venue and Morrissey at Dublin Castle.
The Castle on Sunday welcomes the altogether less subtle but purer Iggy Pop and the Stooges in what is sure to be the highlight of the four-day festival.
Monday's headliners - also at Dublin Castle - are The Streets, who somehow sneaked their way onto a rock festival bill.
The independent republic of Cork hosts the Murphy's Uncorked Festival which began last night with Britain's hottest comedy talent, Jimmy Carr.
The festival is cocktail of comedy and music with Jools Holland's chanteuse of choice, Sam Brown playing the Opera House tonight while the Cream of Irish Comedy play in the Everyman.
Tomorrow, Paul Merton and the Comedy Store players provide the laughs while blues man Eric Bibb provides the licks. And on Sunday, Jeremy Hardy, Jerry Fish and Damien Dempsey provide the highlights.
The stout brewer has also thrown a few bob the way of Kilkenny. With the State's smallest city barely recovered from last month's superb Carlsberg Rhythm and Roots Festival, Murphy's Cat Laughs - now firmly established in the premier league of the World's comedy festivals - features among other Johnny Foreigners, Rich Hall, Jimmy Carr and Demetri Martin.
And as for Irish comic talent, it would be easier to list those not appearing.
Of course, the weather usually has the last laugh with any event in Ireland. But not this weekend. Highs of 23°C; with an outside chance of drizzle on Sunday and perhaps Monday is the worst the weather gods can muster.
However traffic is likely to justify its new-found status as most annoying aspect of life in Ireland.
There is a busy programme of Gaelic games on Sunday so afternoon delays can be expected at Croke Park, Dublin; Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork and Breffni Park, Clones. In golf, the Irish Seniors Open is taking place at Adare Manor, Co Limerick should lead to slow moving traffic and the Women's min-marathon will see restrictions in central Dublin on Monday.
AA Roadwatch, meanwhile, warn that congestion on main routes can be expected on the N1 at Drogheda and Dundalk; the N4 at Enfield and Mullingar and the N6 at Kinnegad and Moate. Other spots to watch out for are: N7 at Johnstown, Kill and Monasterevin; the N11 congestion at Ashford and Rathnew; the N25 between Waterford and Wexford and the N8 to and from Cork.
And just in case you thought you would escape the chaos by traveling abroad, beware: the new air-traffic control system at Dublin Airport is experiencing a few problems, so delays can be expected.