Good Friday (the 14th) is a bank holiday but not a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland: All banks and many public services (eg post-office) are closed, and some other companies treat the day like a public holiday and close anyway. However most public-transport run normal services, with a few exceptions.
Following a recent law change this is the first year when all pubs, hotel bars and off-licenses are allowed to be open on Good Friday if they usually open on Fridays. Anecdotal feedback is that most, but not all, will open,
Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday are not public holidays: usual Sat / Sun timetables generally apply.
Easter Monday is a public holiday and a bank holiday, and in most cases Sunday services will be run.
Information from specific bus and train companies is summarised below. Always confirm details with the company. Bookings are recommended, because there are a number of events happening this weekend.
Burkes Buses (Tuam)
Will run normal services (assumed to be Sunday service on Monday 2 April), except that three services between Galway and Tuam are not running between 26 march and 6 April.
See details here.
Bus Éireann
The following applies to both city and regional / national bus/coach services in Galway:- Good Friday - normal Friday timetable
- Easter Saturday - normal Saturday timetable
- Easter Sunday - normal Sunday timetable, except for college services which will not run
for 3:30pm Dundalk / Galway and 6pm Galway / Dundalk, which are cancelled - Easter Monday - normal Sunday timetable
BusLink (Athenry)
Have advised they will run- Regular Friday services from 8am on Good Friday, including the NightLink service.
- NightLink on both Saturday and Sunday nights.
City Direct (Knocknacarra , Salthill, Barna)
Have said on Facebook that they will run:- Good Friday: Normal Friday service.
- Easter Saturday: Normal Saturday service
- Easter Sunday and Monday: Normal Sunday service.
CityLink (Dublin, Cork and Clifden)
Normal timetable - no changes for EasterFeda O'Donnail (Galway / Sligo / Donegal)
Some reduced services during Easter weekend. Details are available here.
In 2017:
GoBus (Dublin)
No announcement as yet. Based on previous years, they are likely to run
- Regular weekday timetable on Easter Sunday
- Sunday timetable applies on Easter Monday
- Otherwise as per normal timetable
Healy Bus (Loughrea and Mayo)
No announcement has been made yet: this company does not run on Suday or public holidays.
- The 7:45am Loughrea - Galway did not run between 6-14 April (ie the mid-term break - which in 2018 started on 26 March)
- The 9pm Galway - Loughrea ended after the mid-term break and did not run again until September.
Kearns Transport (Birr / Portumna)
- Good Friday - Normal timetable
- Easter Saturday - Normal timetable
- Easter Sunday - No service
- Easter Monday - Reduced service: One bus from Birr at 7:45pm. See their website for more details.
Other bus companies
Have not issued information about their Easter timetables. Check with individual companies for details.Trains
There are major changes to train services in Dublin over the Easter weekend, due to maintenance work being done. People travelling to/from Dublin may have bus-transfers between Dublin and Kildare. As well:- Good Friday: Galway trains on a Friday timetable with some alterations.
- Easter Saturday - normal Saturday timetable
- Easter Sunday: Galway trains will run to a Sunday timetable with some changes
- Easter Monday: Galway trains rill run to a Monday timetable but with a significant number of alterations.