Major rail disruption, rain, hail and pubs opening: What you need to know about Good Friday 2018

Some 59 people have been killed or seriously injured in Bank Holiday crashes here since 2012 and Transport Minister Shane Ross said it's "remarkable" that there were no fatalities at Easter last year, something he hopes will be repeated this year.

Met Eireann have been warned of "treacherous" conditions on the roads, as a status Yellow weather warning for hail remains in place nationwide until 10am this morning.

Hail and heavy showers overnight may have caused very slippery conditions and poor visibility.

Poor weather conditions led to a spate of road accidents yesterday.

A child was airlifted to hospital following a two-car collision on the M7 at Nenagh, Co Tipperary, last night during a heavy hail shower.

A woman was airlifted to Tallaght Hospital following a collision in Bunclody, Co Wexford, yesterday morning between two cars and a school bus carrying 20 children, none of whom were injured.

A number of people were taken to Portiuncula Hospital in Co Galway following a multi-vehicle collision on the M6 near Ballinasloe during a heavy hail shower at rush hour, around 5pm. It's believed up to 12 vehicles were involved but none of the injuries were serious.

There will also be significant changes to public transport this weekend.

Irish Rail has said there will be disruptions to their Heuston to Kildare, Heuston to Waterford and Connolly to Skerries, including northside  DART lines while they carry out works:

Bus transfers will be in place between Dublin Heuston and Waterford between today and Easter Monday, full service will resume on Tuesday.

Bus transfers will also be operating on the following routes from today until 12.30pm on Monday:

• Dublin Heuston to Cork/Limerick/Kerry:  bus transfers will operate between Heuston and Newbridge, with a train service between Newbridge and Cork, Limerick and Kerry
• Dublin Heuston to Galway/Westport: bus transfers will operate between Heuston and Kildare, with a train service between Kildare and Galway and Westport
• Dublin Heuston to Hazelhatch commuter services will operate to a revised schedule.

The following alert is also in place for Northside DART, Northern Commuter and Belfast Enterprise passengers as track improvement works will be carried out tomorrow and Sunday, full services will resume on Monday.

Services will operate as following:

• DART services will not operate between Howth/Malahide and Dublin Connolly. DART services between Connolly and Bray/Greystones will operate. Dublin Bus will accept rail tickets on northside routes during this time.
• Belfast Enterprise services will operate as a bus transfer between Dublin Connolly and Drogheda, with a train service between Drogheda and Belfast.
• Northern Commuter services will operate to a limited schedule between Drogheda and Skerries, with a bus transfer between Dublin Connolly and Skerries.

An Irish Rail spokesman said: "While the vast majority of our works take place overnight or at times of minimal impact, the scale of some projects do cause unavoidable impact on services.

"As we work to ensure we avoid impacting on weekday commuting at all times, the four-day period over Easter does provide an opportunity to progress larger scale and complex projects.

"Resignalling of Kilkenny and its approaches; the completion of underbridge works for Kildare County Council; and significant track renewal at two sites on Dublin’s northside will be delivered in a concentrated time period, ensuring the works can be delivered efficiently and effectively.

"We apologise for the inconvenience for what are essential works.”

Customers are advised to check times on all routes over the Easter weekend on www.irishrail.ie

Dublin Bus has said that there will be some alterations and cancellations to their services.

There will be disruptions to Route 33x, Route 41x, Route 51d, Route 66x, Route 67x, Route 84x, Route 84 today.

A weekday service will run on all routes except Routes 25x, 27x, 32x, 46e, 51x, 116, and 118 today and Nitelinks will also be running as normal.

For more information about the easter arrangements for Dublin Bus, please visit here.

The Luas will operate a Saturday service between 6.30am and 12.30am today and tomorrow.

There may be some disruptions to the Luas Red Line between Tallaght/Saggart and Smithfield for short periods on Sunday during the Easter Sunday Parade.

The Green Line Luas will run between Brides Glen and St. Stephen’s Green and between Broombridge and Dominick from first trams until 4.30pm during the Easter Sunday Parade - there will be no service between St. Stephen’s Green and Dominick during this time.

Bus Eireann will run their normal weekday service today and their regular weekend routes, with the exception of college only services on Sunday.

As pubs prepare to open for business today after the 1927 Intoxicating Liquor Act was lifted earlier this year, Minister Ross pleaded with people to leave the car at home or have a designated driver if they're heading out tonight.

He said: “This is the first Good Friday since 1927 when people can go to their local pub and enjoy a drink or two if they choose. I would urge all those who do to leave the car at home, organise alternative transport or select a designated driver if you are with friends.

“Easter 2017 was remarkable in that there were no deaths on Irish roads over that holiday weekend. However, since 2012 a total of 59 people have been killed and seriously injured in Easter Bank Holiday crashes, according to figures released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Siochána.”

He continues to say that the consequences of driving while under the influence can be devastating and urged people not to be "selfish".

“Don’t take the risk of being fined or put off the road for drink-driving, or worse, being involved in a serious or even fatal collision. It’s not worth it.

“Not to you or your loved ones or the person or people you may kill or injure while under the influence of drink or drugs.

“There have been far too many tragedies; mothers, fathers, sons, daughters killed or terribly injured in road collisions that could have been avoided - so many people who would be alive today if people just stopped and admitted how selfish it is to drink and drive.”

“So this Easter, let’s look to repeat the achievement of last year and avoid needless death or injury on our roads. If you’re enjoying a drink, leave the car at home. You won’t regret it,” Minister Ross said.

We're in for a mixed bag weather wise this weekend, today is set to be cool, with scattered heavy showers, hail and thunder.

We can expect temperatures to reach up to 9C today and it will be coolest in the east.

Met Eireann has said tonight will turn cold and frosty, with temperatures dropping to -1C.

A Met Eireann Forecaster said: "A few residual showers will affect Ireland tomorrow Saturday, but they will be lighter as compared to recent days.

"A lot of dry weather generally but with more cloud than sunny spells. Northeast breezes will keep temperatures of only 6 to 9 degrees Celsius. "Coolest all the while in the east, with brisk winds for a time along Irish Sea coasts.

"Remaining cool and showery, with the risk of hail and thunder too. Some uncertainty for the later stage of the Easter Weekend.

"Saturday night will be very cold with clear spells and light northerly breezes - overall dry but isolated showers may occur. Frost and possibly some ice setting in later with lowest temperatures of -3 to +1C ."

Easter Sunday is going to be frosty to begin, it will be dry and sunny overall.

Cloudy and rain will move southwest through Munster in the late afternoon, gradually moving up through Leinster in the evening, we can expect top temperatures of 9C, with the west set to get the best of the weather.