Mothers all around the country are urged to make the most of pleasant weather on Sunday as the recent settled period begins to break down.
Unseasonably high temperatures experienced earlier this week are unlikely to be repeated for Mother's Day, but there should be sunshine in most places, Met Éireann has said.
Temperatures of almost 18 degrees were experienced at Valentia yesterday and in Belmullet it was over 17 degrees, much warmer than the average for March of between 9.5 and 11.5 degrees, though not as high as the record for the month, of 21.
Met Éireann meteorologist Jean Byrne said the weekend will be cloudier in most places, but there will be some pleasant sunshine also. Most areas will remain dry, though there could be a little drizzle on North West coasts and temperatures will range from 11 to 15 degrees, she said.
Sporty mammies might make a weekend of Mother's Day celebrations by settling down to see Ireland play Wales tomorrow afternoon in Cardiff. Those who can make it to Wales will join the 1,500 planning to fly out through Dublin Airport and over 10,000 making the trip by ferry. The big match will see even non-rugby types glued to the TV as Ireland fight for the grand slam.
Afterwards sporting fans can follow a fight of another kind at the O2 tonight where Bernard Dunne takes on Panamanian Ricardo "Maestrito" Cordoba for the WBA Super Bantamweight title.
On Sunday there are a number of GAA league fixtures taking place around the country, most notably in Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and Kerry, or sports fans can try to spot that rarity of Cork sportsmen, the post-strike hurler on the pitch in Ennis when the team lines out against Clare.
Mothers of a certain vintage might prefer to treat themselves to a dose of virtual Joe Dolan. The late performer's band will play at Vicar Street in Dublin tomorrow and Sunday alongside projections of Joe performing his songs.
Or they could visit the Irish International Antiques and Fine Arts Fair in the RDS. The fair, the largest of its kind in the country, blends contemporary art and antiques and could be just the place to pick up a last minute gift.
And those with a lucky streak could have a flutter on the Easter Festival Hurdle at Cork Racecourse in Mallow or try for the lotto jackpot on Saturday night. The jackpot has been rolling since March 14th and is heading for €5.5 million. It could make for a very happy Mother's Day for somebody.
