More than 90% of the Sun is due to be covered by the Moon this evening in a partial solar eclipse that will be possible to view across the country.
It was 1999 when the last significant eclipse was visible in Ireland.
The event will become visible just after 6pm with maximum coverage of the Sun occurring shortly after 7pm.
The Moon is expected to have cleared the Sun by around 8pm.
The west and south of the country should see up to 98% coverage of the Sun, while in the east and north it will be around 94%.
Public events have been organised across the country to view the eclipse.
The observatories at Dunsink in Dublin and in Armagh, as well as at Blackrock Castle in Cork, have organised viewing events, with public events also organised at Maynooth University in Co Kildare, Queen’s University Belfast and at Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
A homemade eclipse viewer can be made using cereal boxes
For those wishing to view the solar eclipse consideration for safety must be given as people are being advised not to look directly at the Sun using sunglasses or binoculars as this can lead to damage to the retina in the eye.
Certified eclipse viewers or glasses are available to purchase at various retailers, as well as from some of the groups that are organising official viewing events.
But homemade devices can also be made using cereal boxes.
Irish scientists are also preparing for an aerial mission during the eclipse that will gather new information about the Sun.
The group, including astronomers from the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, will be flown towards Iceland by the Air Corps to record images of a total solar eclipse.
They are working with colleagues from the European Space Agency and Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics to capture images of eclipse.
They will use a specialised camera to get a clear shot of the eclipse, specifically to capture images of the corona – the inner part of the Sun’s atmosphere which is clearly visible as the disc is obscured during an eclipse.