Let’s hope the Easter bunny sticks around for a few weeks to entertain the kids, as schools in the Republic of Ireland look set to close for almost three weeks in 2016.
While Irish parents might be nervous already about the extra-long spring break, pupils in primary and post-primary schools are sure to be celebrating the news that classrooms will close from Wednesday, March 16th until Monday, April 4th.
While Easter 2016 will have a special place in the national calendar as the centenary of the 1916 Rising, that is not the reason why schools will shut down for nearly three weeks.
A very early Easter in 2016 means that only one school day - Friday, March 18th - separates St Patrick's Day and the start of the Easter holidays.
In 2016, Easter Sunday falls on March 27th, and the official school timetable dictates that the previous Monday, March 21st, is the start of the traditional fortnight off.
The Department of Education, school management authorities and teachers' unions sat down to settle the dates of the mid-term breaks and Christmas and Easter holidays.
Rather than asking schools to re-open only for Friday, they decided to award March 18th as an extra day off, although it will have to be made up during the year.
