School holidays in Post-primary schools, Ireland 2026/27
Next school break in Post-primary schools: October mid-term break, 24 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 (9 days away).
✓ Officialgov.ie· checked 14 Oct 2026
Post-primary schools close for the whole February mid-term week. Each school sets its own summer dates.
The school year at a glance
Post-primary schools, September to August
September 2026
October
November
December
January 2027
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
Every break, with its source
Holiday dates 2026/27
First and last day without school. Each line links to the official calendar it comes from.
October mid-term break
9 days in all
Source: Department of Education and Youth – Circular 0018/2026, Standardisation of the school year 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 (Appendix A) · nationwide
Christmas holidaysChristmas
14 days in all
Source: Department of Education and Youth – Circular 0018/2026, Standardisation of the school year 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 (Appendix A) · nationwide
February mid-term break
9 days in all
Easter holidaysEaster
16 days in all
Source: Department of Education and Youth – Circular 0018/2026, Standardisation of the school year 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 (Appendix A) · nationwide
Planning a trip?
Also off during October mid-term break
Other regions with schools out between 24 Oct – 1 Nov 2026. Weeks when many overlap are busy for family travel.
French Community· BelgiumAutumn break (All Saints) · 19 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlap
Corsica· FranceAutumn break (All Saints) · 17 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapZone A· FranceAutumn break (All Saints) · 17 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapZone B· FranceAutumn break (All Saints) · 17 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapZone C· FranceAutumn break (All Saints) · 17 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlap
HungaryAutumn break · 23 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlap
Primary schools· IrelandOctober mid-term break · 24 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlap
Bucharest· RomaniaAutumn break · 24 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapBacău· RomaniaAutumn break · 24 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapBihor· RomaniaAutumn break · 24 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapBotoșani· RomaniaAutumn break · 24 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapBrașov· RomaniaAutumn break · 24 Oct – 1 Nov 20269 of 9 days overlapPublic holidays
Post-primary schools, 2026/27
- 26 Oct 2026October Bank Holiday
- 25 Dec 2026Christmas Day
- 26 Dec 2026Saint Stephen's Day
- 1 Jan 2027New Year's Day
- 1 Feb 2027Saint Brigid's Day
- 17 Mar 2027Saint Patrick's Day
- 29 Mar 2027Easter Monday
- 3 May 2027May Day
- 7 Jun 2027June Bank Holiday
- 2 Aug 2027August Bank Holiday
Public holidays from the open python-holidays project, the same data Hourora uses. Regional holidays are included where they apply to all of Post-primary schools.
How dates are set
School calendars in Ireland
Ireland's October mid-term, Christmas and Easter breaks are the same for every school. The February mid-term differs between primary and post-primary schools. Each school sets its own start and end of the year, so summer dates are not national.
School holidays in Ireland are set by the Department of Education and Youth.
Post-primary schools covers: Post-primary (secondary, community and comprehensive, ETB) schools nationwide; differs from primary only in the February mid-term break (other breaks under IE).
Single schools can add a few days of their own (for example for teacher training or local feasts). Check with your school for those.
Other calendars in Ireland
Each break in Ireland
Questions
Post-primary schools school holidays, answered
Is today a school holiday in Post-primary schools?
No. Today, Thursday, 15 October 2026, is a school day in Post-primary schools. The next break is October mid-term break, starting on Saturday, 24 October 2026.
When are the autumn holidays in Post-primary schools in 2026?
October mid-term break (October mid-term break) in Post-primary schools, Ireland runs from Saturday, 24 October 2026 to Sunday, 1 November 2026: 9 days, 5 of them weekdays. Source: gov.ie.
When are the Christmas holidays in Post-primary schools in 2026?
Christmas holidays (Christmas) in Post-primary schools, Ireland runs from Wednesday, 23 December 2026 to Tuesday, 5 January 2027: 14 days, 10 of them weekdays. Source: gov.ie.
When are the winter holidays in Post-primary schools in 2027?
February mid-term break (February mid-term break) in Post-primary schools, Ireland runs from Saturday, 13 February 2027 to Sunday, 21 February 2027: 9 days, 5 of them weekdays. Source: gov.ie.
When are the Easter or spring holidays in Post-primary schools in 2027?
Easter holidays (Easter) in Post-primary schools, Ireland runs from Saturday, 20 March 2027 to Sunday, 4 April 2027: 16 days, 10 of them weekdays. Source: gov.ie.
How many school days off does Post-primary schools have in 2026/27?
4 breaks and days off are listed for 2026/27, adding up to 30 weekdays without school. Public holidays that fall during term are extra.