COMMEMORATIONS, COMEDY and church services are among the many events taking place around the country over the Easter weekend. And there are plenty of options to work off Easter egg calories with a number of walking and music festivals.
The annual 1916 commemoration at the GPO in Dublin takes place tomorrow at noon with a reading of the proclamation and the lowering of the Tricolour. President Mary McAleese will lay a wreath and the ceremony will conclude with a Air Corps fly past.
The 97th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic will be marked tomorrow in Cobh, Co Cork, with prayers, hymns and a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial in the town, the last stop before the vessel crossed the Atlantic.
A Guinness Book of Records attempt at the longest stand up comedy show by an individual – 36 hours – got under way yesterday when controversial comedian Tommy Tiernan took to the stage at Nun’s Island Theatre in Galway at 3pm and will continue until dawn tomorrow with a series of one- and three-hour shows. He has said all proceeds will go to the Galway Diocesan Youth Services although the diocesan group has withdrawn from the event because of the comedian’s anti-clerical remarks.
Easter vigils will take place tonight and tomorrow with Vigil Mass in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin tonight at 9.30pm and tomorrow at 10am and 11am. St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin will celebrate the Eucharist at 8.30am and 11.15am. Details of ceremonies in all dioceses can be found at www.catholicbishops.ie and www.churchofireland.ie
Sport features heavily this weekend, and a quarter of a million people are expected to travel through Irish airports.
A three-day Easter walking festival continues until Monday in Glenbeigh, Co Kerry, with a number of options for walks with experienced guides.
Roscommon County Fleadh Cheoil starts tomorrow for three days with the traditional opening in Athleague, featuring Irish music and dancing. Farther north, there is another traditional music song and dance festival at Meenaneary, Co Donegal.
For Easter egg fans, egg hunts will take place in Roscommon at the Glendeer open farm.
Consumers in Ireland are expected to eat almost 1,000 tonnes of chocolate eggs, with enough aluminium foil to make 1.3 million drink cans.
Recycling agency Repak has appealed to consumers to recycle Easter packages, including cardboard, plastic and aluminium foil, at recycling centres.
