The unseasonably mild weather is expected to continue through the weekend, as hundreds of thousands of people hit the roads on their way to an eclectic array of bank holiday weekend festivals.
Met Éireann predicts rain and strong winds at times, but temperatures will remain in the high teens as November approaches.
The holiday weekend offers an array of festivals, performances and events to cater for most interests.
The Belfast Festival at Queen's celebrates its 43rd year and brings together some of the best in international art while calling attention to the city's own vibrant arts sphere. It covers all forms, including theatre, dance, classical music, literature, jazz, comedy, visual arts and popular music, and continues through the weekend.
Baffle Festival in Loughrea, Co Galway (www.baffle.ie) will host readings from Kevin O'Higgins and Ré Ó Laighléis at 3pm today, and a performance by piper Finbar Furey tomorrow evening will be followed by the final of the Baffle Bard competition.
For the first time in two decades, Oireachtas na Gaeilge (www.antoireachtas.ie) comes to Cork this year. Starting on Monday, the international Irish-language festival will draw participants from across Ireland and beyond for the annual celebration of music, dance, literature and drama.
And finally, if rumours of continued good weather are not enough to make you laugh on these first days of winter, a range of comedians take to the stage this weekend. Patrick Kielty returns to Belfast (Waterfront Hall, 8pm) tonight, while at the same time Dave McSavage will do his stand-up routine at Vicar Street in Dublin. Pat Shortt can be seen at Glór in Ennis on Sunday (8pm) and each night until next Friday.
A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann said more than 200,000 passengers are expected to travel on intercity services over the weekend. The figure for a typical weekend is 130,000. Additional trains will be added to busy routes for those returning home on Monday.
This is the busiest weekend of the year for Bus Éireann, a spokesman said. The company said it expects to carry around 200,000 passengers on long-distance and provincial bus services from Friday to Tuesday inclusive. Today's services will operate to normal weekday timetables, with additional buses as required on all major routes.
Tomorrow bus services will operate to normal weekday timetables, with additional buses as required on all major routes. On Monday services will generally operate as on Sundays with a number of alterations, and extra services will be provided for those returning home on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, with large numbers expected to travel this weekend, AA Roadwatch has advised motorists to be careful on the roads.