Get there early if you’re jetting off.

Cork Airport is gearing up for one of its busiest weeks this year as over 53,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport over the St Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend.

While tens of thousands will take the opportunity to travel overseas for a bit of sunshine, thousands more will jet off to major sporting fixtures such as the Cheltenham Racing Festival and Ireland’s final game of the Six Nations Championship in Rome.

Inbound traffic is also expected to be high as visitors will arrive from the UK, Europe and further afield for St Patrick’s Day festivities in Cork and across the South of Ireland.

Toast the holiday at Craft 

Passengers travelling over the St Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend can also look forward to experiencing the new CRAFT bar and restaurant, which will reopen this week after extensive refurbishment works -complete with new interior décor, additional seating and a new, refreshed menu focusing on local ingredients.

To celebrate the national holiday, Cork Airport will host a showcase of traditional Irish music and dance this weekend, with an extensive programme of entertainment taking place in the terminal building.

From Thursday afternoon through to Monday afternoon, there will be daily performances by local musicians who will take to the stage area in Arrivals, offering a true Irish céad míle fáilte.