Post-primary schools close at the end of May for non-exam students; Leaving Cert exams run early to mid-June; schools return at the start of September.
💡 Tips for the break
Post-primary schools (secondary) close earlier than primary because of the State Examinations. Junior cycle and senior cycle students who are not sitting Junior Cert or Leaving Cert finish at the end of May. Leaving Cert exams typically run from the first Wednesday in June to mid- to late June. After exams, students enjoy the longest summer holiday of their school career — popular Irish school-leaver activities include Inter-Rail trips, Gaeltacht courses, J-1 summers in the US, and pre-college adventures.
30days until start
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Summer break (primary)
About 9 weeks — late June to end of August
Same nationwide
▾
29 Jun – 31 Aug 2026
Primary schools close at the end of the last week of June (often 30 June) and return at the start of September — typically about 9 weeks. The exact end-of-year date is decided by the school board.
💡 Tips for the break
The long Irish summer holiday. Classic activities: Gaeltacht summer courses in Connemara, Donegal or West Kerry for teenagers; Irish campúcht and Coca-Cola Zero football camps; trips to Lahinch, Tramore or Strandhill for the surf; the Wild Atlantic Way road trip; festival season (Electric Picnic, All Together Now, Forbidden Fruit). Primary schools return on or around 1 September.
61days until start
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Halloween mid-term break
5 days — last week of October, around the October bank holiday
also known as October mid-term
Same nationwide
▾
27–31 Oct 2025
Halloween mid-term is broadly uniform across Irish primary and post-primary schools, anchored to the October bank holiday Monday. Some schools may extend by one day into the following Monday — check your school calendar.
💡 Tips for the break
The Halloween mid-term break is the autumn highlight for Irish families: a bank-holiday-anchored week to enjoy the colours of Glendalough, Killarney National Park or the Mournes; visit Dublin Zoo or Fota Wildlife Park; carve pumpkins and prepare costumes for the 31st. The Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin and Wexford Festival Opera both peak this week. Travel agents see a peak in short-haul autumn-sun bookings to Spain, Portugal and the Canaries.
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Christmas break
About 2 weeks — 22 December to 6 January
Same nationwide
▾
22 Dec 2025 – 6 Jan 2026
Uniform across Ireland — schools close on or before 22 December and return on the first weekday after the Epiphany (6 January). Some schools return 5 January.
💡 Tips for the break
The longest unbroken school break of the year. Classic Irish Christmas activities: Mass on Christmas Day, the Wren Boys on St Stephen’s Day, Leopardstown races, the Christmas markets in Galway and Belfast, and a quiet New Year. Schools usually return on the first Monday after the Epiphany (6 January). Families with grandparents abroad often take advantage of the long break for a December trip to the UK, the US or Australia.
📅 Passed
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February mid-term break
5 days — mid-February
Same nationwide
▾
16–20 Feb 2026
February mid-term is uniformly the third or fourth week of February. Department of Education sets recommended dates; minor regional variation possible.
💡 Tips for the break
A short but welcome break in the depths of winter. Popular for short-haul ski trips to the Alps (especially Andorra and Italy for value), city breaks (Paris, Amsterdam, Rome) or just a quieter week of pyjamas and Netflix. For Leaving Cert students it is the home stretch — most schools run revision classes and mock exams in or around the break. The break aligns roughly with European school holidays.
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Easter break
About 2 weeks — around Easter weekend
Same nationwide
▾
30 Mar – 10 Apr 2026
Easter break is uniformly two weeks anchored on Easter Monday — typically the Monday before Holy Week to the Friday after Easter Monday. Schools close from Holy Thursday or Good Friday and return after Easter Monday at the start of the second week.
💡 Tips for the break
Two weeks centred on Easter weekend. Gardens open for the spring, the Wicklow and Mourne mountains beckon for hill-walking, and the bluebells in Killarney and Glendalough are at their peak. Easter Monday concludes the break for most schools but some extend into the second week of April. Many families take the second week as a foreign holiday or a stay in West Cork.
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School holidays 2026/2027
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Halloween mid-term break
5 days — last week of October, around the October bank holiday
also known as October mid-term
Same nationwide
▾
26–30 Oct 2026
Uniform across Ireland — anchored to the October bank holiday Monday (26 October 2026).
💡 Tips for the break
Halloween mid-term 2026: anchored on Monday 26 October bank holiday. Five days off including the Monday means one day of leave (e.g. Friday 30 October) gives parents a 9-day stretch with the kids. Pumpkin-picking farms, the Dublin Bram Stoker Festival, and Killarney trips are all popular.
180days until start
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Christmas break
About 2 weeks — 22 December to 6 January
Same nationwide
▾
22 Dec 2026 – 6 Jan 2027
Uniform across Ireland. Schools generally return the first Monday after the Epiphany.
💡 Tips for the break
Christmas break 2026/27. Christmas Day falls Friday and St Stephen’s Day Saturday — a slightly less optimal year for parents (no extra weekday off because the holiday falls on a weekend). New Year’s Day 2027 is also a Friday. Schools likely return Monday 4 January 2027.
237days until start
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February mid-term break
5 days — mid-February
Same nationwide
▾
15–19 Feb 2027
Department of Education recommended dates; minor regional variation possible.
💡 Tips for the break
February mid-term 2027 — third week of February. Same use cases as ever: ski trips, city breaks, mock exams for Leaving Cert students.
292days until start
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Easter break
About 2 weeks — around Easter weekend
Same nationwide
▾
22 Mar – 2 Apr 2027
Easter falls early in 2027 (Easter Sunday 28 March). Two weeks anchored on Easter Monday.
💡 Tips for the break
Easter 2027 falls on Sunday 28 March, so Easter Monday is 29 March — quite early in the year. The break runs roughly 22 March to 2 April. Spring is just arriving; bring layers if hill-walking.
327days until start
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Summer break (post-primary)
About 13 weeks — end of May to start of September
Same nationwide
▾
28 May – 30 Aug 2027
Post-primary schools close at end of May; Leaving Cert exams in June; schools return at the start of September.
💡 Tips for the break
Post-primary summer 2027. State exams typically the first three weeks of June. After that, the long Irish summer for school-leavers — Inter-Rail, Gaeltacht, J-1 visas, pre-college trips.
394days until start
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Summer break (primary)
About 9 weeks — late June to end of August
Same nationwide
▾
28 Jun – 30 Aug 2027
Primary schools close end of June and return early September — about 9 weeks.
💡 Tips for the break
Primary summer 2027. Same rhythm: Gaeltacht summer courses, GAA cúlcámpaí, Wild Atlantic Way road trips, beach days. Schools return early September.
425days until start
School holidays in Ireland 2025/2026 and 2026/2027
Irish school holidays follow a national framework set by the Department of Education, with five standard breaks: Halloween mid-term (5 days at the end of October, also called the October mid-term), Christmas (about 2 weeks from 22 December), February mid-term (5 days mid-February), Easter (about 2 weeks around Easter weekend) and summer (about 9 weeks for primary schools, 13 weeks for post-primary schools). Individual schools have flexibility within the framework, particularly around term-end and summer dates.
Primary schools (4–12 years) typically end the school year in late June and return at the start of September. Post-primary schools (12–18 years) finish at the end of May or start of June for senior cycle students sitting the Leaving Certificate, and at the end of June for junior cycle. The State Examinations Commission sets exam dates, which usually run from the first Wednesday in June to mid-late June. Always check your school’s own calendar — dates can shift by a day or two.
Frequently asked questions — school holidays
Who sets school holidays in Ireland?▾
The Department of Education publishes a national framework with recommended dates for the five standardised school breaks (Halloween, Christmas, February, Easter and summer). Within that framework, individual school boards have flexibility on exact dates, particularly for the start and end of the summer holidays. Most primary and post-primary schools follow the recommended dates closely, but always check your school’s own calendar.
When does the Irish school year start and end?▾
Primary schools generally start on or around 1 September and finish at the end of June (about 9 weeks of summer). Post-primary schools start at the end of August or 1 September and finish at the end of May (for senior cycle students sitting Leaving Cert) or end of June (for junior cycle and transition year students), giving post-primary students up to 13 weeks of summer.
When are the State Examinations?▾
The Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate exams run from the first Wednesday in June (oral and practical components are earlier, in March/April). The Leaving Cert traditionally finishes in mid- to late June. The State Examinations Commission (examinations.ie) publishes the timetable in the autumn of the previous school year. Results are released in late August.
How long is the Christmas school break?▾
About two weeks. Schools typically close on or around 22 December and return on the first weekday after the Epiphany (6 January). In 2025/2026 schools return Wednesday 7 January 2026; in 2026/2027 schools return Monday 4 January 2027.
Why is the October mid-term called Halloween mid-term?▾
It is the school break that contains 31 October (Halloween) and the October bank holiday Monday. The five-day break (Mon–Fri) includes the bank holiday, making it a parent-friendly week of free childcare overlap with the public holiday.
Are school holidays the same nationwide?▾
Largely yes. The Department of Education framework is followed by the great majority of primary and post-primary schools, with at most one or two days of variation. Gaelscoileanna (Irish-medium schools) and minority-faith schools have the same calendar. Some schools may extend the Halloween or February mid-term by one day, or add a school-discretion day before Christmas. Always confirm with your school.
Do private schools follow the same calendar?▾
Most do, with minor variations — some private schools have slightly longer breaks at Christmas and Easter, and some end summer term earlier. Boarding schools may close a day or two later for boarders to travel home.