Easter School Holidays 2025: Ireland Dates & Calendar

Parents of school-age children in Ireland know the drill: keep one eye on the calendar and the other on the Department’s official notices. With Easter 2025 landing on 20 April, that two-week break is closer than many realise — and the official dates are already published on Gov.ie. Here’s exactly when Irish schools close and reopen, and what you can and can’t adjust around those dates.

Easter Sunday 2025: 20 April ·
Good Friday 2025: 18 April (public holiday) ·
Easter Monday 2025: 21 April (public holiday) ·
Schools close: Friday 11 April ·
Schools reopen: Monday 28 April

The official records aggregate the key Easter 2025 dates into a structured reference table that parents can check at a glance.

What date is Easter break 2025?

Irish schools close on Friday 11 April 2026 and do not reopen until Monday 28 April 2026, according to the official school year calendar published by Homeschool.ie. The Department of Education standardises the school year under a circular covering 2023/24 through 2025/26, meaning these dates apply to virtually every primary and post-primary school in the country (Gov.ie — Department of Education). The break spans 17 calendar days, or roughly two teaching weeks.

Primary and post-primary dates

Both primary and post-primary schools follow the same close and reopen dates for Easter 2025. There are no regional variations — the standardised dates apply uniformly across all 32 counties (Gov.ie — Department of Education). The only area where primary and post-primary schools can differ is in how they allocate discretionary days throughout the year, which may affect mid-term breaks but not the Easter window itself (Schooldays.ie).

Official Department of Education calendar

The governing circular — “Standardisation of the School Year 2023/24–2025/26” — was most recently updated on 12 February 2026, though the 2025 Easter dates themselves were confirmed earlier in the cycle (Gov.ie — Department of Education). Parents can access the official holiday schedule directly through Gov.ie or through trusted aggregator sites like Schooldays.ie.

How long do Irish schools get off for Easter?

The standard Easter break runs for two weeks, or 17 calendar days including the surrounding weekend. This is set by the Department of Education rather than individual schools — primary schools must be open at least 182 days per year and post-primary schools at least 166 days, which constrains how holidays can be arranged (Gov.ie — Department of Education). Schools cannot use discretionary days to extend the Easter break; they can only shorten it under strict conditions (Athena.ie).

Typical duration

In practice, the Easter break always includes Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays. Easter Sunday itself (20 April 2025) falls on a Sunday, which means families with holiday plans may find themselves packing around the school calendar rather than working around a mid-week holiday. The 17-day window from 11–28 April gives a full two weeks of school closure with weekends on either side.

Primary vs secondary variations

There is no difference in Easter dates between primary and post-primary schools — both close and reopen on the same days (Schooldays.ie). The only structural difference between school types is in mid-term breaks: for example, the February mid-term 2026 falls on Thursday–Friday for primary schools but Monday–Friday for post-primary (Schooldays.ie). That distinction does not apply at Easter.

What days are Easter holidays in 2025?

The Easter school holiday period spans from Friday 11 April 2025 through to Monday 28 April 2025. Within that window, two days are official public holidays: Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April). Easter Sunday (20 April) is not a public holiday in itself, but it falls within the school closure period.

Break up and return dates

Schools break up on Friday 11 April 2025 — that is the last day of teaching before the Easter break. Students return on Monday 28 April 2025, which is the first day of teaching after the break. In the case of severe weather or other unforeseen closures, schools may remain open until Wednesday 16 April 2025 before taking the Easter break (Homeschool.ie). This contingency window allows schools to make up lost days at the end of the holiday period rather than extending the break itself.

Public holidays included

Two public holidays fall within the Easter 2025 school break: Good Friday 18 April and Easter Monday 21 April. Good Friday is a public holiday by law; Easter Monday is also a public holiday under the Organisation of Working Time Act. These days are non-negotiable — schools must be closed on both (Everymum.ie).

Is Easter 1 or 2 weeks off?

Easter 2025 is two weeks off for Irish schools. The break runs from 11 April to 28 April — that is 17 calendar days, which includes two weekends and the two Easter public holidays. While Easter holidays at other times of year (like mid-term) can sometimes be one week, the Easter break is standardised at two weeks across the system.

Standard length

The two-week standard is confirmed by the Department of Education circular, which sets the school year structure for all schools. The Easter break is one of three major breaks in the Irish school year, alongside Christmas and mid-term — and it is consistently the longest (Everymum.ie).

Exceptions by school type

There are no exceptions by school type for the length of the Easter break. Both primary and secondary schools follow the same close and reopen dates. The Department of Education mandate applies uniformly, and individual school boards cannot independently extend the Easter holiday beyond the standard window. However, schools may shorten the break by up to three days using contingency days — but this is a reduction, not an extension (Athena.ie).

Why does Easter change dates every year?

Easter Sunday falls on a different date each year because the holiday is calculated using a lunar calendar rather than a fixed solar date. The rule: Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This system, adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, means Easter can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April.

Calculation method

The precise formula is known as the “Computus” algorithm. The vernal equinox is set at 21 March as an ecclesiastical approximation (regardless of the astronomical event). The first full moon after that date determines Easter Sunday — and because the lunar cycle and solar calendar do not align neatly, the date shifts annually. In 2025, the full moon falls in mid-April, pushing Easter to 20 April — one of the later dates in its range.

Impact on school holidays

Because Easter is mobile, the school holiday window moves with it. In 2025, Easter falls on 20 April, placing the break in mid-to-late April. In 2026, Easter falls on 5 April, meaning schools close on Friday 27 March 2026 and reopen on Monday 13 April 2026 (Homeschool.ie). Easter Monday 2026 itself is a public holiday on 6 April 2026 (Everymum.ie). The shifting date means families planning holidays across multiple years will find the Easter window lands in different weeks — making early booking of annual leave essential for some.

What experts and sources say

Schools will close on Friday, 11th April 2025 and re-open on Monday, 28th April 2025.

— Homeschool.ie, Irish School Calendar 2025–2026

Post-primary schools must be open for at least 166 days and primary schools must be open for at least 182 days in the school year.

— Department of Education Ireland, Official Circular

Schools may shorten the Easter break by up to three days, ensuring closure on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

— Schooldays.ie, Irish School Calendar 2025–2026

Summary

For Irish families with school-age children, the Easter 2025 break is straightforward to plan around once you have the dates: schools close Friday 11 April and reopen Monday 28 April, with Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April) as public holidays within that window. The Department of Education standardises these dates nationally, so primary and post-primary schools follow the same schedule — but individual schools may use contingency days to shift their break by up to three days if closures have occurred earlier in the year. Easter 2026 is already confirmed at close 27 March / reopen 13 April. Parents who check their specific school’s calendar before booking flights or holiday accommodation will avoid the confusion that comes from assuming the national standard always overrides local variation.