2026 Ireland School Holidays
Ireland’s Department of Education standardises mid-term, Christmas and Easter breaks nationwide. Summer holidays and the exact start of the school year are set by each school. February mid-term dates below use the post-primary full week; primary schools close Thursday–Friday and may extend with discretionary days.
Terms & holidays
| Period | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
Post-Christmas TermTerm Schools reopened Mon 5 Jan 2026 after the Christmas break. | 5 Jan 2026 (Mon) – 15 Feb 2026 (Sun) | 42 |
February Mid-term BreakBreak Post-primary: Mon 16–Fri 20 Feb. Primary: closed Thu 19–Fri 20 Feb; may use 3 discretionary days for Mon 16–Fri 20. | 16 Feb 2026 (Mon) – 20 Feb 2026 (Fri) | 5 |
Pre-Easter TermTerm Final school day before Easter is Fri 27 Mar 2026 (unless contingency shortens the break). | 21 Feb 2026 (Sat) – 27 Mar 2026 (Fri) | 35 |
Easter BreakBreak Schools reopen Mon 13 Apr 2026. | 28 Mar 2026 (Sat) – 12 Apr 2026 (Sun) | 16 |
Summer TermTerm Representative primary-style end (last week of June). Post-primary schools usually finish before the June bank holiday (Mon 1 Jun 2026). | 13 Apr 2026 (Mon) – 26 Jun 2026 (Fri) | 75 |
Summer HolidaysBreak Not standardised. Schools set summer start/end; typically closed for July and most or all of August. Representative primary-style window; post-primary summer is often longer. | 27 Jun 2026 (Sat) – 30 Aug 2026 (Sun) | 65 |
Autumn TermTerm Representative start in the week of 1 Sep 2026. Exact opening dates are school-set. | 31 Aug 2026 (Mon) – 25 Oct 2026 (Sun) | 56 |
October Mid-term BreakBreak | 26 Oct 2026 (Mon) – 30 Oct 2026 (Fri) | 5 |
Pre-Christmas TermTerm Final school day before Christmas is Tue 22 Dec 2026. | 31 Oct 2026 (Sat) – 22 Dec 2026 (Tue) | 53 |
Christmas BreakBreak Schools reopen Wed 6 Jan 2027. | 23 Dec 2026 (Wed) – 5 Jan 2027 (Tue) | 14 |
Statistics
- School days
- 261
- Holiday days
- 105
- Terms
- 5
- Longest break
- 65d
- Shortest break
- 5d
- Avg break
- 21d
Summer Holidays
February Mid-term Break
Timeline
- Post-Christmas Term· 42d
- February Mid-term Break· 5d
- Pre-Easter Term· 35d
- Easter Break· 16d
- Summer Term· 75d
- Summer Holidays· 65d
- Autumn Term· 56d
- October Mid-term Break· 5d
- Pre-Christmas Term· 53d
- Christmas Break· 14d
FAQ
When is the February mid-term break in Ireland 2026?
Post-primary schools close Monday, 16 February 2026 to Friday, 20 February 2026. Primary schools close Thursday 19 and Friday 20 February, and may use discretionary days to match the full week.
When is the Easter break in Ireland 2026?
Schools’ final day is Friday, 27 March 2026; they reopen Monday, 13 April 2026. On TermBreaks the holiday window is Saturday, 28 March to Sunday, 12 April 2026.
When is the October mid-term break in Ireland 2026?
All schools close Monday, 26 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026 inclusive.
When is the Christmas break in Ireland 2026?
Schools’ final day is Tuesday, 22 December 2026; they reopen Wednesday, 6 January 2027. On TermBreaks the holiday window is Wednesday, 23 December 2026 to Tuesday, 5 January 2027.
When are the Summer Holidays in Ireland 2026?
Summer dates are school-set. TermBreaks shows a representative primary-style window from Saturday, 27 June 2026 to Sunday, 30 August 2026. Post-primary schools often finish before the June bank holiday; confirm with your school.