Historic match in park life looms

Apparently, there's some manner of a sporting occasion taking place in Dublin this weekend. Egg-chasers in Croker? Who'd've thunk it. How modern we are.

Sadly, there is a certain coterie of people not so enamoured of  the idea, necessitating a tight security operation in north Dublin tomorrow.

More than 82,000 supporters will descend on Croke Park for the sell-out fixture. Stiles will open at 3.30pm for the 5.30pm kick off, with supporters urged to arrive early.

Supervised car parks will be available around Croke Park at Clonliffe College, Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra, and motorists are being warned that illegally parked cars risk being clamped or towed away.

As to this evening's traffic, same old same old, unfortunately. The M50 is still a carpark, albeit one with more trucks on it. Traffic management on said road is, as anyone driving along it will see, a load of bollards.

Road works and speed restrictions are in place between Tallaght and the toll bridge until some time shortly before Hell freezes over. Anyone expecting an easy ride out through Dublin's concrete curtain will be sorely disappointed.

Air travellers can rest assured there are no major problems foreseen at any of the state's main airports over the weekend. As ever, check with your carrier before leaving home.

The 5th Jameson Dublin International Film Festival continues until Sunday. Details and tickets are available from www.dubliniff.com.

The Georgian House & Gardens in Limerick is hosting the events of the Kate O'Brien annual literary weekend in honour of the city's most famous deceased author.

The Russell Memorial Weekend is taking place in Doolin, Co Clare. Events include exhibitions, lectures, poetry readings, stage performances and musical workshops.

Also in the West, the Father Ted Festival is being held on Inis Mór off the Co Galway coast. The festival is going ahead following the brokering of a truce with the fine folk of Inis Oirr, who argued their island was the spiritual home of the three hapless clerics.

The two sides will line up against each other in a five-a-side football match on Sunday, with the winners to be awarded the title of "The Real Craggy Island". Neither side has divulged whether or not it will be flying in any octogenarian ringers from the Vatican. We'll see.

Weather over the weekend will be fairly grim, with showers, some of them heavy, forecast for Saturday and Sunday morning. The rain is expected to clear in many places on Sunday afternoon, but it will feel cold with blustery winds and temperatures between 9 and 12 degrees.

There is a decent westerly swell out there for surfers. It'll be about 14.5 feet with a 15-second period tomorrow, dropping slightly on Sunday. Unfortunately for most spots, the winds tomorrow will generally be light WSW, increasing to stronger WNW on Sunday. Seek and ye shall find.