After last weekend's disastrous start to summer, forecasters are predicting a fine weekend that should help kick-start the outdoor events season, including Dublin's Pride festival tonight.
Met Éireann is forecasting bright conditions, hazy sunshine and warm temperatures till Sunday when a few showery outbreaks of rain are expected in southern and western parts of the country.
As the weekend kicked off, traffic flows were heavy, however, with crashes causing congestion around Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Carlow.
In Dublin there are major delay on the M50 due to serious of crashes and breakdowns.
Emergency services are at the scene of a crash northbound at the M11/M50 merge where one lane is blocked. It's also extremely slow northbound from the Dundrum to Finglas exit due to a crash in the hard shoulder.
In Cork a crash on Carrs Hill outbound has reduced traffic to one lane, while Limerick's Dublin Road inbound was congested from Finnegans to the Roxboro exit, AA Roadwatch said.
Elsewhere, a crash on the N9 is causing major delays to traffic coming from Carlow to Kilkenny. Gardaí are advising motorists to take an alternative route.
In Dublin, the Naas Road inbound was backed up to the Green Isle Hotel from the Red Cow roundabout.
Organisers of the Dublin LGBTQ Pride Festival 2007, which has its official launch party tonight at The George, will welcome the fine weather as the 16-day gay celebration gets under way.
Events include the Dublin Pride sports day in Phoenix Park on Sunday, along with a picnic at Dublin Zoo.
Elsewhere, the Éigse Carlow Arts Festival - in its 29th year - returns to the streets of Carlow for 10 days, from tomorrow, while US pop sensation Beyonce performs at the Point Theatre in Dublin tomorrow night.
The sunny conditions should also suit the Irish Hospice Foundation's national Sunflower Days fundraiser, which runs all weekend.
The 14th annual international World Ocean Day on Sunday, will see pirates, young and old, gather at events nationwide, including a family day at Atlantaquaria.