As passengers get ready for one of the busiest travelling periods of the year, Dublin airport expects close to a million people to pass through its doors.
A spokeswoman for the Dublin Airport Authority said some 830,000 passengers would arrive and depart this week. Saturday was the busiest day of this week, she said, with next Saturday the second busiest due to people leaving on winter holidays.
Cork and Shannon airports will also be busy and passengers are advised to allow themselves extra time to get to the airport to ensure they comply with check-in and airport security regulations.
Passengers travelling before Christmas are asked not to gift wrap presents as they may be asked to open them for security reasons.
People will also be on the move around Ireland with Conor Faughnan of AA Roadwatch predicting the coming days would see "a mass exodus out of Dublin" in particular.
Motorists are advised to keep speed down, ensure all passengers wear their seat belts and never drink and drive.
Gardai have appealed to young people in particular to drive carefully over the Christmas period saying those in their late teens and early twenties have been over-represented in road traffic fatalities during the past year.
Assistant Commissioner Eddie Rock, who is in charge of the Garda Traffic Corps, said the unit now numbered more than 1,000 members for the first time.
Enforcement of drink-driving laws and speed limits would be more visible in the coming weeks, while motorists driving under the influence of drugs would also be targeted.
"An issue which is of concern to us is the number of young people killed on our roads," he said.
"The trends are certainly downwards overall but in looking at our analysis of what's happening on the roads the indications are that amongst young drivers, aged 18 to 24 or thereabouts, the death rate has increased this year."
While there had been a change in society's attitude towards drink driving, it was proving more difficult to deter people from speeding and using mobile phones while behind the wheel. However, the increased numbers in the Traffic Corps would enable gardaí to address those problems.
Heavy traffic has been reported in cities around the country this afternoon with people making the most of the unseasonably warm weather to finish their Christmas shopping.
There is a steady flow of traffic in and out of car parks and some have limited space available.
Those hoping for a White Christmas will be disappointed. Met Eireann is predicting dry, settled weather over the holiday period. However it will turn signficiantly colder from St Stephen’s Day onwards.
The Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team is advising those planning to take to the hills to walk off the turkey to plan their trip and pack essentials such as a torch and spare batteries, raingear and a hot flask.
Minister Noel Ahern and the coast guard also issued a warning today about the danger of being swept off cliffs, rocks, piers, harbour walls and beaches around the coast of Ireland.
Although this can happen any time of the year, the winter is particularly dangerous with strong winds, high tides and big waves.