Ireland basks in sunny weather

Thousands took to parks and beaches nationwide today as Ireland basked in some of the hottest temperatures of the year so far.

With a sweltering 26 degrees Celsius expected in some inland parts of the country, people took to the outdoors in their droves to soak up the best of the weekend sunshine.

Beaches were crowded throughout the country, while inner-city parks in central Dublin turned into make-shift play areas for city-dwellers.

Hundreds took advantage of the summer sun yesterday as they flocked to the the eighteenth-century walled gardens of Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath, for the Garden Party, billed as one of the country’s most intimate music festivals.

For the thousands of school kids sitting their Leaving and Junior Certs though, the good weather may have been more of a curse than a blessing.

With another week stretching out before them of intensive exams and last minute studying, the warm sunshine of recent days may have placed a strain on concentration levels.

But according to Met Eireann, the heat wave is coming to an end, with temperatures cooling to the late teens and early twenties by Tuesday, with heavy and at times thundery showers expected.