Just as the Government was inflicted with serious burns in the elections, parts of the country yesterday experienced the highest temperatures of the year so far. A maximum of 26.9 degrees was recorded between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. yesterday in Cloyne, Co Cork.
Dublin experienced a cloudless day, with many of its usual sunny hangouts filled by workers eager to top up their tans. Sunbathers in St Stephen's Green baked under temperatures of between 23 and 24.5 degrees.
Indeed, the fine weather brought welcome relief for the capital's publicans, with many establishments with beer gardens reporting a brisk trade.
Mr John Coady, of the Stillorgan Orchard, which has a sizable outdoor area, said: "Thankfully, the beer garden has been full since lunch time, and we expect it busy until closing time."
Cider and lager were the tipples of choice as drinkers did their best to stay cool.
Kilkenny and Rosslare both recorded the second highest temperature of 25.5 degrees in the country, both experiencing uninterrupted sunshine.
Despite the yearly high, a number of areas in the north recorded temperatures well below the seasonal average.
Belmullet peaked yesterday afternoon at a cool 15 degrees, as did Malin Head, which saw some light drizzle.
A spokesman for Met Éireann said: "While certainly it was a lovely day in most parts of the country, no all-time records were in danger of being broken. Many parts were a good deal cooler, especially in the north-west. Basically, the further south you went, the hotter it was."
For a number of people yesterday's fine weather meant the first trip of the year to the beach.
The fine weather is to continue for most of the country today, again reaching highs of between 17 and 25 degrees, with a light to moderate westerly breeze.
All of this will mean little for those Leaving and Junior Cert students facing their French and history exams today.
The current warm spell of weather will come to an end as the weather will turn fresher overnight tonight and into tomorrow. Temperatures are not expected to exceed 20 degrees until the weekend and showers can be expected.