Demand for train seats has jumped this weekend, Iarnród Éireann has said as it advised passengers to book in advance to avoid being left behind.
As travel restrictions are eased and people travel from place to place for the weekend, or for Christmas, public transport is experiencing a surge in demand which is expected to continue over the coming days.
Bus and train stations and stops are littered with people travelling to their homes from work or college, as well as people taking the opportunity of the lifting of inter-county travel to visit family members and friends.
At Waterford bus station, student Natasha Wyse was preparing to catch a bus to Cork, for the first time in months.
"Just to see my college friends, I was in college in Cork and everything was online so I had to come home," she explained, adding that it will be "amazing" to meet her friends again.
"I'm just so excited to see them again. Obviously it won't be the same, I have to be careful and everything because with coming home for Christmas it's a risk, but I'm just glad to be able to see them in their house and whatever. Maybe we won't go out but to see them again is just really nice."
Across Rice Bridge at Plunkett Rail Station, Catherine Egan had just arrived on the train from Bagenalstown in Co Carlow to see her sister.
"Just down for a little while… my first time in a good while," she said. "My sister lives, so we'll be hibernating in the house, that will be it. It's a good few weeks since I've seen her, I was so used to going down to her."
She said that she will be in Waterford "for a couple of days and then I'll go back again," but was glad to be able to see her sister before Christmas.
Another woman, Amy, had travelled from Cavan to visit her grandmother in Carrick-on-Suir.
"About two months ago now, I'd say, ages," she said when asked when she'd last seen her grandmother, adding that it's been "horrible" not to have been able to visit.
"I'm so used to going down to her once a month at least."
She decided to make the journey from Cavan "because the restrictions have been lifted today and it's just before Christmas.
"I don't know what's going to happen after Christmas," she said.
A man who had boarded the Dublin-Waterford train at Carlow did so "just for the day, just came down to meet family before Christmas".
He said he was taking the opportunity to meet family members as they may not get a chance to get home. "We're looking forward to just getting down for a couple of hours, and then getting home."
He had not seen those family members "for months," he added.
"It's been difficult. It's been difficult for all of the people in Ireland."
Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny said there is a "growth in demand" compared to what the company has seen in recent months, but trains can only carry up to 50% of normal capacity.
"We are telling all of our customers that it's essential to book inter-city travel in advance, to ensure they can travel with us during the season," he said.
"Bookings are certainly up," compared to last year, according to the company, "and we would see the busiest times coming close to that 50% of capacity, so that's why it's so important for people to plan their travel… There is certainly capacity available now, but it will book out closer to the travel day."
With today being the first time that inter-county travel is allowed for many people, "it's natural that we're going to see some growth at this time," he said, "but we are very grateful to customers who are overwhelmingly abiding by the regulations, wearing face coverings on board which is mandatory, and for people who haven't travelled with us for some time, there's things like seat restrictions on board as well, to ensure distancing while travelling with us."
