Roads in Co Mayo are being blessed this Easter bank holiday weekend - as part of a continued effort to raise awareness of road safety.
Parishes and priests across the county will be participating in the unusual ceremony, with the Irish Examiner reporting that some priests will perform the blessings on road-sides.
Mayo County Council road safety officer Noel Gibbons says they "don't expect any miracles", but the campaign is instead "about raising awareness of road safety issues" on one of the year's busiest weekends for traffic.
He says that the feedback to the blessings, which have been carried out for several years, has been "very positive", adding that the annual effort was inspired by a similar campaign in Australia.
The Tuam archdiocese has said it is “fully behind the campaign".
The Mayo blessings come amid nationwide road safety campaigns ahead of the Easter break.
The AA is warning that today will be the busiest on our roads over the long weekend - with traffic set to peak this evening.
They say more collisions are expected with drivers doing long journeys on unfamiliar roads.
Conor Faughnan from the AA is urging motorists to give themselves plenty of time and to take breaks.
