Hundreds of people queued to get their hands on specialist sunglasses ahead of the eagerly anticipated solar eclipse. The astronomical event is expected to commence at approximately 6pm, reaching its maximum shortly after 7pm before concluding around 8pm. A watch-a-long is taking place at Phoenix Park in Dublin, with the Irish Astronomical Society (ISA) predicting Dublin will see approximately 94% of the sun covered by the moon. The last time Ireland saw comparable coverage was the 2015 and the 1999 solar eclipse, the ISA said. Eclipse glasses must comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, as non-certified versions could expose eyes to dangerous solar radiation.