School holidays in Ireland 2026/27: every mid-term and break
Irish school holidays are standardised: the Department of Education sets the October mid-term, Christmas, the February mid-term and Easter for every recognised primary and post-primary school in the country (circular 0018/2026). In 2026/27 the October mid-term runs from 26 to 30 October, straight after the bank holiday; schools close for Christmas on 22 December and reopen on 6 January; and the February mid-term is a full week for post-primary but only the Thursday and Friday for primary — unless the school adds discretionary days. Here are all the dates, the public holidays for 2026 and 2027, and how they get onto the family calendar without copying them out.
- October mid-term: 26–30 October 2026. Monday 26 October is the October bank holiday, and schools stay closed through Friday 30 October. Primary and post-primary take the same week. Back to school on Monday 2 November.
- Christmas: close 22 December, back 6 January. Tuesday 22 December 2026 is the last day of term for all schools; they reopen on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Christmas Day falls on a Friday and St Stephen's Day on a Saturday in 2026.
- February mid-term: a week for secondary, two days for primary. Post-primary schools are off from Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027. Primary schools close on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February — many extend it to the full week using discretionary days, so check your own school's calendar before booking anything.
- Easter 2027: 19 March to 5 April. Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027. Under the standardised arrangement schools close on Friday 19 March and reopen on Monday 5 April. St Patrick's Day (Wednesday 17 March) falls in the last week of term, and Good Friday (26 March) inside the holidays — check your school for its exact Easter dates.
- Summer: June for primary, end of May for secondary. Primary schools finish at the end of June. Post-primary schools finish at the end of May or in early June, when the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams begin. The exact day is set by each school.
- Public holidays 2026 — and the St Brigid's rule. Thu 1 January New Year's Day · Mon 2 February St Brigid's Day · Tue 17 March St Patrick's Day · Mon 6 April Easter Monday · Mon 4 May May bank holiday · Mon 1 June June bank holiday · Mon 3 August August bank holiday · Mon 26 October October bank holiday · Fri 25 December Christmas Day · Sat 26 December St Stephen's Day. Ten public holidays; St Brigid's Day, the newest, falls on the first Monday of February — or on 1 February itself when that is a Friday. Good Friday is not a public holiday.
- Public holidays 2027. Fri 1 January New Year's Day · Mon 1 February St Brigid's Day · Wed 17 March St Patrick's Day · Mon 29 March Easter Monday · Mon 3 May May bank holiday · Mon 7 June June bank holiday · Mon 2 August August bank holiday · Mon 25 October October bank holiday · Sat 25 December Christmas Day · Sun 26 December St Stephen's Day. Where a public holiday falls on a weekend, as both Christmas dates do in 2027, employees are entitled to an alternative, such as another paid day off.
- The dates in the family calendar — without typing them in. Zenframe shows the Irish public holidays automatically, St Brigid's rule included. The mid-terms and Christmas are added once as holiday periods; the kids' morning routines pause while school is off, and the display in the kitchen shows the week is free. The display ships to Ireland — no customs, VAT included. The digital family calendar that ships to Ireland
- Discretionary days are not in the table. Schools may close for a small number of extra days — around the primary February mid-term, or for staff training and religious occasions. Those are on your school's own calendar, not in the Department's standardised dates.
- Four holiday periods and the year is done. October mid-term, Christmas, February mid-term and Easter go in as holiday periods in Zenframe. The bank holidays are already there.
- Club, crèche and after-school. Any calendar with a shareable link (iCal) — the club, swimming, the childminder's days — syncs into the same family calendar and onto the display.
- Who's off, who's working?. A mid-term is a school holiday, not a bank holiday. The calendar shows which days are really free, who has the kids, and what to pack — from the Halloween camp to the week at Granny's.
FAQ
When is the February mid-term 2027?
Post-primary schools are off from Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027. Primary schools close on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February, and many add discretionary days to make it a full week — so for a primary child, check the school's own calendar before booking.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland?
No. Good Friday (26 March 2027) is not one of Ireland's ten public holidays, although many businesses close. It falls inside the Easter school holidays, so schools are off regardless.
Are mid-term breaks the same in every school?
The standardised dates apply to every recognised primary and post-primary school, so the October mid-term, Christmas, the February mid-term and Easter are the same nationwide. Schools may add a small number of discretionary days around them — most often to extend the primary February mid-term — and set their own summer finishing dates, so the Department's dates are the baseline, not the whole picture.
When is the October mid-term 2026?
Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, for primary and post-primary alike. Monday 26 October is also the October bank holiday. Schools reopen on Monday 2 November.
When do schools close for Christmas 2026?
Tuesday 22 December 2026 is the last day; schools reopen on Wednesday 6 January 2027.
When is St Brigid's Day in 2027?
Monday 1 February 2027. The rule is the first Monday of February, unless 1 February falls on a Friday, in which case the holiday is on that Friday. In 2026 it was Monday 2 February.
School holidays 2026/27 in Ireland: the table
Standardised school year 2026/27 as set out in Department of Education circular 0018/2026, read on 14 October 2026. Dates are the first and last day of each break; schools reopen on the next school day.
| Break | Dates | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| October bank holiday | Mon 26 October 2026 | Everyone |
| October mid-term | Mon 26 – Fri 30 October 2026 | Primary and post-primary |
| Christmas holidays | Schools close Tue 22 December 2026 — reopen Wed 6 January 2027 | Primary and post-primary |
| St Brigid's Day | Mon 1 February 2027 | Everyone |
| February mid-term (post-primary) | Mon 15 – Fri 19 February 2027 | Post-primary |
| February mid-term (primary) | Thu 18 – Fri 19 February 2027 (schools may add discretionary days) | Primary |
| St Patrick's Day | Wed 17 March 2027 | Everyone |
| Easter holidays | Schools close Fri 19 March — reopen Mon 5 April 2027 (Easter Sunday 28 March; check your school) | Primary and post-primary |
| Summer (post-primary) | End of May / early June 2027 — set by each school | Post-primary |
| Summer (primary) | End of June 2027 — set by each school | Primary |
Source: Department of Education circular 0018/2026 (standardised school year 2026/27), read on 14 October 2026. Discretionary days are set by each school and are not included.
The breaks are already in the calendar
Zenframe Display shows the Irish bank holidays automatically and keeps the mid-terms on the kitchen wall — and it ships to Ireland with no customs.