Rain showers unlikely to dampen spirits of fundraising superheroes

SUPER HORSES and superheroes dominate events over the weekend as the weather prepares to take a not-so-super turn for the worse…

SUPER HORSES and superheroes dominate events over the weekend as the weather prepares to take a not-so-super turn for the worse.

The National Hunt Festival at Punchestown, Co Kildare, enters its final day today, and the Taoiseach will attend to present prizes.

Racegoers suffering festival withdrawal symptoms can take in more racing at Leopardstown tomorrow.

Tomorrow will also see the Super Hero Fun Run 2011, in aid of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, in the Phoenix Park at 10.30am. As part of the 5km run/walk, the hospital is aiming to break the Guinness Book of Records figure for the most people dressed up as superheroes in one venue – currently 1,580, set at a Los Angeles event last year.

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More than 1,000 adults and children raised more than €130,000 for the Crumlin hospital in the inaugural event last year.

The Phoenix Park will host another fundraiser today in the Joints in Motion walk. The walk, which starts at 11am, is part of a nationwide movement led by Arthritis Ireland to get people walking (2.5km or 5km) to prevent or treat arthritis, while fundraising.

Turning to pedal power, the Dublin Mountains Partnership will officially open the first official mountain bike trail in the Dublin Mountains at noon tomorrow. The 8km Ticknock Forest trail, near Sandyford, will be opened by Minister for Sport Leo Varadkar. A number of races will be run and are pre-entry only.

In Cork, the Trash Culture Revue, staged by an arts co-operative on www.mutantspace.ie, runs until tomorrow, with an array of events, including a free Nashville songwriting workshop today.

Also in Co Cork, a number of events in Cobh tomorrow will commemorate the 96th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania. The Cunard liner sank on May 7th, 1915, after it was hit by a torpedo fired by a German submarine off the Old Head of Kinsale.

New Iarnród Éireann schedules for all Heuston and some regional routes will take effect from tomorrow, and passengers are advised to view the new schedules, as many services will see departure time changes, or changes to stopping patterns of trains.

Weatherwise, Met Éireann is predicting further outbreaks of rain showers today, with a few bright or sunny breaks in between. Temperatures will be mild, and even warm, with temperatures coolest along the east and southeast coasts.

The unsettled weather will continue tomorrow and Monday, carrying a risk of flooding. Sunday is forecast to be windy and showery with a risk of thunder.