Christmas shopping begins in earnest as level 5 restrictions lifted

Time for a break after early morning shopping on Oliver Plunkett Street , Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

Happy shoppers quickly ticked off the items on their Christmas lists this morning in Cork city centre, largely unhindered by the long queues that were witnessed outside Penney's outlets in Limerick and Dublin from early morning.

Wendy Musgrove arrived into the city at 7am to drop a friend to the train station.