Met Éireann warned that gusts of wind could reach speeds of up to 100km/h in some areas tonight.
As thousands of people take to the roads in the lead up to Christmas, the forecaster said coastal counties in Connacht and Ulster would be hit by strong winds overnight and early tomorrow.
"West to Southwest winds will reach speeds of 50 to 60km/h with gusts of 80 to 100km/h across coastal counties of Connacht and Ulster tonight," Met Éireann said in a weather warning.
A white Christmas looks quite unlikely with temperatures tomorrow expected to reach 12 degrees. However, the forecaster said it would get colder tomorrow night, with a chance of ground frost in some areas.
Christmas Eve is expected to be a bright and cool day with sunny spells and occasional rain and hail showers on west and southwest coasts.
A widespread ground frost is forecast to develop on Christmas Eve night and into the early hours of Christmas Day.
"Christmas Day will be a bright cold day with sunny spells. Most places will be dry, but a few wintry showers - mainly of rain or hail - will affect some north and west coastal areas," Met Éireann said.