Great escape by air for Easter increases by 15% over last year

The great escape begins this weekend, with many thousands of people on the move as the holiday season begins.

More than 310,000 people are expected to pass through Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports during the weekend, a 15 per cent increase on the same period last year.

Dublin Airport has added more than 170 charter flights to its schedule to cater for holiday-makers heading to sun destinations.

The increase in figures is partly explained by the fact that foot-and-mouth disease controls were in place last Easter, and many trips were cancelled.

Stena Line expects to take 44,000 people and 9,000 cars in and out of Ireland this weekend, while more than 200,000 intercity rail journeys are expected to be made.

Commuters using rail services on the north side of Dublin will be affected by work on the East Wall road bridge this weekend.

The rail line will be closed between Connolly Station and Clontarf Road from 11 a.m. today to 4.30 p.m. on Easter Monday for the first phase of works.

A shuttle bus will operate between Clontarf Road and Tara Street during the works. The Dundalk/Drogheda service will also be affected.

Most of the routes are operating a Saturday service up to 11 a.m. today when an hourly service will take over.

Full details are available at stations, online at www.irishrail.ie or from 1850 366 222.

The East Wall road bridge is the State's most struck bridge, having suffered 104 bridge strikes since 1985.

The work will finish in September and will involve 12 weekend closures. Weekday commuters will not be affected.

On the south side of the city, a Saturday service will operate today and tomorrow while a Sunday service will operate on Easter Sunday and Monday.

Dublin Bus is running its normal schedule today but has cancelled tonight's Nitelink service as all pubs are closed.

Tomorrow's bus services are normal while Sunday's usual schedule has been boosted by a full Nitelink service. Buses will run to a Sunday schedule on Monday.

Meanwhile, Bus Éireann expects to transport up to 100,000 passengers around the State this weekend.

Apart from some alterations to local services, services will operate as on Fridays today.

Some Sunday services will be cancelled while extra services will be laid on for travellers on Monday.

There will be buses galore on Custom House Quay on Easter Monday but they will be making a leisurely lap of honour.

Dublin Bus is hosting a rally entitled "65 Years of Dublin Buses". The rally will feature seven open-backed platform buses, including one built in 1937, as well as front-entrance buses and more modern vehicles, including the new "bendy bus". Members of the public can take part in a round trip to and from Bray on the old buses.

The rally starts shortly before noon at Dublin's Custom House Quay.

Children looking forward to their Easter eggs will be delighted to hear that they will have one hour less to wait this year, as the clocks go forward on Sunday morning.

Summer time officially begins at 1 a.m. on Sunday.

While the weather has been almost balmy in recent days, clouds are on the horizon for the weekend. Today will be dry and bright but a few showers are likely in more southern areas. Tomorrow will continue dry with temperatures in the low teens, but cloud will increase and rain will extend eastwards across the country tomorrow night. Sunday and Monday will be dull with scattered showers, according to Met Éireann.