THE FESTIVE season is nearly upon us and the Luas is gearing up for it with the introduction of its late-night Christmas services this weekend.
Green Line services run until 3.30am tomorrow morning and will also operate next weekend and on New Year’s Eve. Late-night Red Line services, which begin next weekend, will run until 3am.
Tickets for the late-night services cost €4, or €3.80 for smartcard holders. Security personnel will be on every service to ensure revellers get home safely.
For those hitting the town this weekend there is plenty on, including Kings of Leon at the O2 in Dublin tonight, Leftfield at Tripod, Nina Nastasia at The Workman’s Club and the Coronas at the Olympia.
Farther afield there are gigs by the Frames in Belfast, the Pogues in Killarney and St Etienne in Kilkenny.
The Hallelujah concerts, billed as the largest concert series in the world, are on at the RDS.
The panto season kicks off in earnest this weekend with Beauty and the Beastat the Tivoli Theatre and Aladdinat the Gaiety. Jack and the Beanstalkand Snow Whitea nd the Seven Dwarfsare on in Belfast, while Cinderellais at the Moat Theatre in Naas, Co Kildare; Sleeping Beautyis at the Theatre Royal in Waterford.
Elsewhere, the Custard Pie Puppet company will be performing Rudolf and the Ice Queenat the Cowshed Theatre, Farmleigh House, tomorrow. Admission is free. The Dublin docklands Christmas market, which has more than 100 traders, continues this weekend.
It is a busy weekend of Heineken Cup rugby with Ulster due to host Bath today and Munster hosting Ospreys tomorrow.
This weekend’s race meeting at Cork is subject to a 3pm course inspection today.
The high-profile meeting at Fairyhouse has already been rescheduled to next Wednesday, while tomorrow’s meeting at Navan is cancelled.