Clear skies in the north and east allowed excellent views of Saturday night's total eclipse of the moon. David Moore, chairman of Astronomy Ireland, which held a viewing event in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, said conditions were perfect, adding that reports from elsewhere were favourable.
The organisation provided binoculars and telescopes for eclipse watchers, although it was also visible with the naked eye.
Viewed from Dublin, by 10pm the moon was half in darkness. Half an hour later, only its tip could be seen fully through clear skies. As expected, by about 10.45pm it had become completely obscured, emitting a pale red-orange colour, during a "total eclipse" which lasted more than an hour.
A spokesman for Met Éireann said that while weather conditions in the north and east meant there probably could not have been a better viewing night, rain and clouds coming in from the west meant individuals hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse in other areas may not have been as fortunate.
Astronomy Ireland described it as the best visible from Ireland until 2029, with the moon becoming more than one million times dimmer. "I think the whole country probably watched the eclipse," Mr Moore said, "and if you get millions of people watching an event like this, it can't be bad."