Everything you need to know ahead of Cork Jazz Festival this weekend
There is plenty to look forward to with an expanded programme including some of the biggest names in jazz. Picture: Rich Gilligan
It is the October bank holiday weekend and in Cork that can only mean one thing — jazz.
The Cork Jazz Festival is returning in full force for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is plenty to look forward to, with an expanded programme including some of the biggest names in jazz. The city will welcome a whole host of performers and music fans over the course of the three-day festival.
If you are planning on heading along, here are some key things you need to know.
Recent weather patterns look set to continue this weekend, with a mix of dry spells and showers.
Those planning to dress to impress will do well to bring along an umbrella, especially on Saturday.
As festivities officially kick off on Friday evening, it will be mainly dry, with some showers expected around 9pm, but these should die out quickly, leaving skies clear until the wee hours of the morning.
Rain will hit the city at around 2am on Saturday morning and heavy showers can be expected throughout the day, easing as we head into the evening and eventually dying out for a brief period on Saturday night.
There will be a brighter picture on Sunday as the last of the showers will pass overnight, leading to a dry but cloudy day with sunny spells expected in the afternoon.
There will be further heavy showers overnight but these will have passed by mid-morning on Monday.
Temperature-wise, the highest temperatures over the weekend will be 15C.
With huge numbers expected to travel to and within Cork during the festival, people are encouraged to avail of public transport where possible to reduce traffic congestion.
Irish Rail will run full services across all routes all day on Friday, Saturday up until 2.30pm and from 10.30am on Monday.
Between 2.30pm on Saturday and 10.30am on Monday, bus transfers will be in place between Thurles and Kildare. This is to facilitate line improvement works.
All local Cork commuter services between Kent Station and Cobh, Midleton and Mallow as well as connections between Cork and Tralee and Cork and Limerick are operating fully throughout the weekend, with maximum available capacity in operation.
Bus Éireann's Cork City and commuter services will be running across the bank holiday weekend but there will not be an enhanced service for the festival.
Passengers are reminded to use their Leap card to avail of discounted fares.
Those who are travelling by car should prepare for some delays around the Dunkettle Interchange as new access routes opened this week.
Two new links opened on Monday, providing road users travelling eastbound on the N8 with a new access route to Little Island.
Road users are advised to familiarise themselves with the new layout and to plan their journeys taking the new route options into account.
Following the opening of the new link roads, the 'Ibis' slip road which provides access to the M8 southbound from the L2998 local road alongside the Gaelscoil will be closed. Traffic will be diverted via the new link roads in order to access the M8, the N8 and the N40.
The Dunkettle Interchange is one of Ireland's busiest junctions and is used by up to 100,000 vehicles a day. It experiences chronic congestion at peak hours.
In the days since the upgrades, motorists have reported long delays, so those travelling in the area during the weekend should take this into account.
With heavy showers expected over the weekend, road users should keep an eye on flooding warnings around the city centre.
This week, there have been a number of warnings issued by Cork City Council surrounding high astronomical spring tides.
Areas of concern include: Morrison’s Quay, Fr Matthew Quay, Trinity Bridge, Union Quay, Sharman Crawford Street, Wandesford Quay, Frenche’s Quay, Proby’s Quay, Crosses Green, Lavitt’s Quay, Kyrl’s Quay and potentially reaching South Terrace, Rutland Street, Sawmill Street and South Mall.
At times this week, there have been minor flooding incidents but these have not led to any major disruptions.
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