Real stretch in the evenings - Laois people don't forget to change your clocks to Irish summer time

Laois people need to remember that the clocks go forward this weekend, marking the beginning of summer time in Ireland and the start of long hours of daylight in the country.

The clocks go forward at 1 am to 2 am on the last Sunday in March, which this year is March 29. 

Early risers will notice darker mornings immediately after the change, while evenings will be lighter as the sun sets later.

The time change was not introduced to benefit farmers. It was first proposed by inventor William Willett in 1907 who is the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin.

He published a pamphlet called The Waste Of Daylight, which outlined his frustration with not getting the most out of summer days. He initially proposed that clocks jump forward by 80 minutes in four steps in April and reversed the same way in September.

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The first country to adopt DST was Germany in 1916, during the First World War.

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The clocks change in all EU States on March 29 but the European Parliament voted in 2029 to end seasonal time changes. However, EU institutions have not made progress on implementing the decision, and the European Commission has said that it does not plan to submit a new proposal on the matter.

Daylight saving time (DST) – lasts until the final Sunday in October, when the clocks go back an hour.