August Bank Holiday weekend is finally here - and it's your last opportunity until Halloween to let your hair down for an extended 3-day period.
Weather will be mixed, and if you're in Dublin you could be facing a bus strike, but at least there'll be plenty to do whereever you are, and you can find all the details here.
Weekend weather
Sunshine and showers this weekend, according to Met Éireann - so a more typical Irish summer than we've experienced to date and you will need to pack both sunglasses and umbrella if you're going away.
Friday's expected to bring the possibility of heavy and sometimes thundery downpours, west Munster, Connacht and west Ulster getting the worst of them - but at least it will be warm, with temperatures of 18 to 23 degrees.
Saturday will be sunny again, especially in the midlands and east in the early part of the day. However, scattered showers will become more widespread later, some of them heavy, with a slight risk of thunder. Highest temperatures 17 to 21 degrees.
Rain will spread northwards on Sunday, and later the south and south-east will be hit. Temperatures in the high teens, or early 20s.
The eastern half of the country may see further rain overnight into Monday while the west stays mainly dry. Rain in the east should then clear by Monday afternoon and sunny spells will spread from the west. Highest temperatures of around 20 degrees.
Dublin bus strike looms
Dublin Bus is warning customers they have no contingency plan in the event that workers go ahead with threatened strike action.
Latest information on that is that the all-out stoppage is going ahead from midnight on Saturday on what is expected to be the busiest weekend of the year.
Garda checkpoints
Gardaí say they'll be out in force carrying out the usual check for drink and drug driving, and for speed - motorists are being warned not to risk their licence with bad behaviour.
The gardaí are highlighting the dangers of driver fatigue this year, pointing out that international research points to tiredness being a contributory factor in around 20% of road deaths in which the driver is killed.
They are reminding motorists this Bank Holiday to take care on the roads and to pull over and take a break if they are feeling tired.
Five people lost their lives on the country's roads over the June Bank Holiday weekend .
Oxegen
The Oxegen music festival in Co. Kildare is the biggest event taking place this weekend.
Concert goers are being urged to use public transport to get to the three-day festival at Punchestown - Dublin Bus aren't running buses from the capital this year, but there is a festival shuttle from Custom house quay .
Bank Holiday Events
AA Roadwatch has posted details of Bank Holiday weekend events happening nationwide on their website - here are some of the highlights.
DONEGAL: Street entertainment and music at the Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival until Sun 4th Aug. Expect delays in the town and on the N15 Donegal/Sligo Rd.
GALWAY: Races continue at Ballybrit until Sunday. Anyone who is travelling by train is reminded that the new Oranmore train station is open. Oranmore station services Limerick and Dublin trains and is about 7 minutes journey time from Galway city. There's also a shuttle bus in operation from the station to the racecourse during the festival.
LAOIS: The Durrow Scarecrow Festival continues until Monday. Motorists should expect delays on the M7 Dublin/Limerick Rd at the exit for J17 Portlaoise Centre.
KILDARE: Oxegen takes place at Punchestown Racecourse until Sunday. Car parks open Friday afternoon. Delays are likely on the M7 both north and southbound and also on the N81 Blessington Rd as well as around Naas itself. Gates open at midday each day.
OFFALY: Castlepalooza returns to Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Gates open at 3pm Friday and at 10am on Saturday and Sunday.
OFFALY: Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival takes place in Co. Offaly until Saturday 10th August. The event is likely to bring additional traffic to the area; particularly on Sunday for the parade from 12pm until 4pm and delays are expected.
WATERFORD: The Waterford Spraoi Festival takes place in Waterford City until Sunday - avoid the city centre if you're not attending. O’Connell St will close Friday 3-8pm. On Saturday from 12:30pm until 6pm O’Connell St/Gladstone and from 2pm until 6pm St. Francis Place will close. On Sunday, O’Connell St and Gladstone St will close from 1pm until 6pm and Arundal Square will close 1:30pm and The Mall will close from 1:30pm until 6:30pm. The Spraoi Parade takes place at 9:30pm on Sunday 4th August, Johnstown, John’s St, Michael St, Broad St, John Robert’s Square, Barronstrand St and Merchants Quay.
Cork
The Indiependence Music Festival takes place at Deer Farm in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork until Sunday. Gates open at 4pm Friday and at 10am on Saturday and Sunday. Car parks at the venue open at 1am on Friday and will remain open until 2pm on Monday. Delays are likely through Mitchelstown all weekend.
The Kinsale Regatta Festival takes place until Friday 9th August.
The Bantry BBQ Festival takes place until Monday - local road closures will be in place.
Burglaries
With so many people travelling, there's also a warning that burglars will be on the prowl.
If you're leaving home, you're advised not to talk about it on Facebook or Twitter, and to make sure your house is well-secured. That means not just avoiding boasting, but also steering clear of 'checking in' at locations far away from home.
Action security, a firm specialising in risk assessment, is also flagging up new developments that mean landline or GSM operated home alarms can be 'jammed'. That means your alarm could be remotely deactivated by a thief. They're warning that only radio-monitored alarms are completely safe.
