Easter is a major holiday in Ireland celebrated by the religious and non-religious alike, and across the island the festivities are always in tune with the new beginnings of spring.
The old traditions included marking the sign of the cross on all bread baked on Good Friday and whitewashing the cottage to make it pristine for Easter Sunday. Nowadays the Easter period is a hive of activity, with festivals, Easter egg hunts, spring fairs, adventure activities and getting out and about in the great outdoors all part of the Easter break options.
Families can hop on down to one of Ireland’s many castles and country estates for plenty of traditional egg rolling and hunting. Tayto Park in County Meath, Westport House and Gardens in County Mayo (1 April), Florence Court in Northern Ireland’s County Fermanagh (30 March – 3 April) or Belvedere House Gardens, County Westmeath (26 – 28 March), are among the many places around the country offering egg hunts.
Easter Pilgrim Paths Walk, March 31 - 7 April
This Easter, retrace the footsteps of Saint Declan across the scenic Knockmealdown Mountains on the border of Tipperary and Waterford. Join Knockmealdown Active as they mark Pilgrim Paths Week, and set out from Waterford’s Mount Melleray Abbey on a 3.5-hour trek through this incredible part of Ireland’s Ancient East.
Galway Food Festival, March 31- 2 April
Food lovers who fancy an Easter treat will enjoy the Galway Food Festival, a celebration of the culinary delights of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. Galway will be buzzing with open-air markets, restaurant trails, cookery demonstrations, food and wine tours- and lots more to fill the Easter weekend.
Discover Ireland's Viking History, March 30- 2 April
Ireland’s Ancient East will come alive this Easter as two of the region’s major cities celebrate their Viking past. Dublin will host VikingFest (31 March – 2 April), a huge celebration of Viking culture featuring living history demonstrations, weaponry, coin minting and ships from the Vikings hit TV show.
Waterford, Ireland’s oldest Viking city, will have four days of adventure (30 March – 2 April) including boat-building workshops, sword-making and metalwork re-enactments, archery, guided tours of Viking Waterford and a spectacularly fierce Viking Roadshow.
The Irish Grand National, 2 April
The showpiece on Easter Monday this year will be the Irish Grand National. The three-day Easter Festival in County Meath (1 – 3 April). Soak up the electric atmosphere of a traditional Irish race day over the course of three days this Easter.