{"id":375238,"date":"2026-03-31T20:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/375238\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T20:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T20:30:11","slug":"irish-drivers-urged-to-fill-up-before-good-friday-as-one-issue-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/375238\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish drivers urged to fill up before Good Friday as one issue looms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Irish motorists are being urged to plan ahead this Easter as one issue could catch many drivers out before the bank holiday rush.\"March<\/p>\n

March 2026 – Pump prices at Circle K petrol station on the N11 Kilmacanogue Dublin (Image: Stephen Collins\/Collins Photos)<\/p>\n

With schools off and the Easter bank holiday weekend<\/a> just around the corner, thousands of Irish motorists are preparing to hit the road for a well-earned break. But there’s one issue drivers are being urged to think about before they travel – when to fill up.<\/p>\n

Motorists are being advised to plan ahead this week and avoid leaving it too late, as demand at petrol stations is expected to surge in the run-up to Good Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While roads may feel quieter at the start of the week, that is unlikely to last. Traffic is set to build significantly as tens of thousands head off on staycations or to visit family – and that will likely be felt at the pumps too.<\/p>\n

With fuel prices still high, timing when to get petrol or diesel<\/a> could make a big difference. Since the conflict in the Middle East<\/a> began, fuel prices in Ireland have surged, with diesel in particular now commonly hitting \u20ac2 or more per litre.<\/p>\n

Drivers are therefore being encouraged to shop around and avoid filling up at peak times where possible. A spokesperson for Ireland’s leading motoring organisation, AA<\/a>, recently said: “With price differences of several cents per litre still common, shopping around can make a real difference over the course of a month.<\/p>\n

“Planning journeys, refuelling in advance rather than at motorway locations, and using fuel price comparison tools can all help motorists manage costs.”<\/p>\n

\"March<\/p>\n

March 2026 – Pump prices at Circle K petrol station on the N11 Kilmacanogue Dublin(Image: Stephen Collins\/Collins Photos)<\/p>\n

Despite a Government reduction of 15c per litre for petrol and 20c for diesel, it appears many stations have yet to fully reflect those cuts at the pumps.<\/p>\n

Drivers <\/a>hoping to avoid long queues are being advised to fill up before the Easter rush begins on Good Friday, rather than leaving it until the weekend when demand is likely to peak.<\/p>\n

Repairs team leader at RAC mobile servicing, Sean Kimberlin, said: “Fuel prices may have risen sharply in recent weeks, but our research with drivers shows they are still determined to make the most of the Easter break.<\/p>\n

“This year we’re expecting one of the busiest Easter getaways since 2022, with planned leisure trips rising again for the second year running.”<\/p>\n

Rising fuel costs are being driven by ongoing global uncertainty, particularly tensions around the Strait of Hormuz – a key route through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Fuel Allowance has been extended for a further four weeks, running until May 1.<\/p>\n

Want to see more from the Irish Mirror? Making us your preferred source on Google<\/a> means you\u2019ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Irish Mirror as a preferred source, simply click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Irish motorists are being urged to plan ahead this Easter as one issue could catch many drivers out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375239,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[168216,72,3013,109388,168217,61,60,151392,150947],"class_list":{"0":"post-375238","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-aa-ireland","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-cars","11":"tag-easter","12":"tag-good-friday","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-middle-east-war","16":"tag-petrol-prices"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}