If you’re planning the Easter holidays in Ireland in 2027, getting the school break and your work dates lined up will make booking leave easier. Good Friday falls on March 26, Easter Sunday is March 28, and Easter Monday is March 29. Easter Monday is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland; Good Friday is not.
Schools across the Republic close for Easter after Friday, March 19, 2027, and reopen on Monday, April 5, 2027, under the national standardised school year.
This guide sets out the Easter weekend calendar, a published school closure and reopening schedule, and the workplace arrangements to check before requesting leave. The school and employment information applies to the Republic of Ireland.
Easter holidays Ireland 2027 at a glance:
- St Patrick’s Day: Wednesday, March 17 (public holiday, schools closed)
- Last school day before Easter: Friday, March 19
- Good Friday: Friday, March 26 (not a public holiday)
- Easter Monday: Monday, March 29 (public holiday)
- Schools reopen: Monday, April 5
- Leave to cover the full school break: nine weekdays with Easter Monday off, or eight if Good Friday is also covered
Easter Holidays Ireland 2027: Weekend Dates
| Day | 2027 Date | Public Holiday in the Republic? |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26 | No |
| Easter Saturday | Saturday, March 27 | No |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, March 28 | No |
| Easter Monday | Monday, March 29 | Yes |
Easter Monday is the statutory public holiday over this weekend. A school closure, a business closing for Easter and an employee’s public holiday entitlement are separate arrangements, so check each one before making plans.
Easter School Holidays 2027 in Ireland
The Department of Education and Youth’s standardised school year for 2026/27 sets the Easter break for every primary and post-primary school in the Republic. All schools close on Friday, March 19, 2027, the last day of the term, and reopen on Monday, April 5, 2027.
A published school calendar lists the Easter break as Monday, March 22, through Friday, April 2, 2027, with reopening on Monday, April 5. These are the dates published by St Nessan’s; confirm your own school’s calendar before booking childcare or travel.
| School Calendar Milestone | Published Schedule |
|---|---|
| St Patrick’s Day closure | Wednesday, March 17, 2027 |
| Friday before the listed break | Friday, March 19, 2027 |
| Easter closure | Monday, March 22–Friday, April 2, 2027, inclusive |
| Reopening | Monday, April 5, 2027 |
The weekends on either side extend the time pupils are away from school. For this schedule, families would plan around an absence beginning after school on Friday, March 19, and ending with the return on Monday, April 5. Check the school’s notice for the last teaching day and finishing time.
Here’s the whole break on one page, with the public holiday and the leave days marked.
Primary and Post-Primary Calendars
Circular 0018/2026 sets standardised school closures for Christmas, Easter and the February midterm across the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 school years. It also includes contingency arrangements for prolonged unforeseen closures.
Schools must be open for tuition on the weekday immediately before and after each standardised break, so a discretionary day can’t normally be used to stretch the Easter holidays.
For a primary or post-primary pupil, use the individual school’s published calendar to confirm the dates that apply. If you have children in different schools, check both calendars, including any separate staff training days.
Can the Easter Break Change?
Check for contingency notices before committing to bookings. St Nessan’s labels its Easter holidays provisional and warns that the dates may change if days lost to winter weather closures need to be made up.
The national rule is narrow. A primary school making up time lost to a prolonged unforeseen closure can stay open up to and including Wednesday, March 24, 2027, cutting the break by up to three days. It must still close on Thursday, March 25, and Friday, March 26, and every school reopens on April 5. The circular gives post-primary schools no equivalent way to shorten Easter.
Ask your school whether its Easter dates remain unchanged after any prolonged closure. The school should also confirm any revised final teaching day or reopening date.
For the surrounding terms and midterm breaks, see the 2026/2027 school holidays in Ireland.
Planning Annual Leave Around Easter 2027
Good Friday does not automatically give employees a day off in the Republic of Ireland. Your employer may close, provide paid time off through workplace arrangements, or operate as usual. Check your contract and workplace calendar before assuming Friday, March 26, is covered.
Easter Monday carries a public holiday benefit for eligible employees, but that benefit does not guarantee that everyone has the Monday off. The available benefits include a paid day off on the public holiday, a paid day off within a month, an additional day of annual leave or an additional day’s pay.
You can ask your employer, at least 21 days before the public holiday, which of these will apply. For Easter Monday 2027, that means asking by Monday, March 8. If your employer hasn’t answered by Monday, March 15, you’re entitled to take Easter Monday itself as a paid day off.
Full-time employees have an immediate entitlement to public holiday benefit. Part-time employees generally need to have worked 40 hours in the five weeks before the public holiday. Confirm your entitlement and the benefit your employer will provide before calculating your leave request.
- For the Easter weekend: confirm whether you are scheduled to work on Good Friday or Easter Monday.
- For the full published school break: a Monday-to-Friday employee receiving Easter Monday off would need nine other weekdays covered by approved leave or another agreed arrangement.
- If Good Friday is provided separately: that same school-break plan would require eight annual leave days, assuming no other workplace closures.
- If your child’s primary school uses the contingency option: the break shrinks to seven weekdays, so you would need six days covered with Easter Monday off, or five if Good Friday is also provided.
The wider rules are explained in the guide to public holidays in Ireland and employee benefits. Keep your school calendar and approved work leave together when booking. Two calendars, one family plan.
Easter 2027 Planning FAQs
Does the School Break Begin on Good Friday?
No. Under the national schedule, the last school day is Friday, March 19, 2027, a full week before Good Friday. The published St Nessan’s calendar begins the Easter closure on Monday, March 22, 2027, four days before Good Friday. Confirm the start of the break with your own school.
When Do Schools Go Back After Easter 2027?
All primary and post-primary schools in the Republic reopen on Monday, April 5, 2027. That’s one week after Easter Monday.
How Long Is the Easter School Break in 2027?
Pupils are off for 16 days in a row, from Saturday, March 20, to Sunday, April 4, 2027. That covers ten weekdays of school closure, including Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Is St Patrick’s Day Part of the Easter Break?
No. St Patrick’s Day falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2027, and is a separate public holiday. Schools close that day, open again on Thursday and Friday, March 18 and 19, and then break for Easter.
Does Easter Sunday Create an Extra Monday Holiday?
Easter Sunday is not a statutory public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. Monday, March 29, 2027, is the separate Easter Monday public holiday.
Do Northern Ireland’s Easter Rules Apply?
No. In Northern Ireland, Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank holidays in 2027. The Department of Education there lists Easter school closures from March 25 to April 2, 2027, and individual schools can vary them. Northern Ireland has separate school calendars and employment arrangements. Use the relevant school and workplace information for the jurisdiction where your child attends school and where you work.
