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Irish Primary and Secondary School Holidays
Irish School Year
The school year typically commences in September and ends in June.
- The dates for the start and the end of the school year are not standardised.
- The schools set the exact dates for when students finish school in summer and when they start school in autumn. They are generally closed in July and August for the summer holidays.
Irish School Holidays
The dates for the school terms, mid term breaks, Christmas, and Easter are standardised. Click here for the exact dates for both the current school year and the coming school year.
Every school must be open for a minimum of:
- 183 days at primary level
- 167 days at post-primary level
Schools can use any remaining days at their discretion to extend the summer holiday period or to close on religious or other holidays. However, schools cannot use these days to extend the Christmas, Easter or mid-term breaks (unless a religious observance day/s falls at that time for schools of a particular denomination or faith). If a school does not have enough discretionary days left for a religious holiday, schools can denote that day a non-tuition day.
At the start of the school year, each school will give a list of days that it will be closed during the year, including holidays and training days for teachers.
Holidays vary depending on the school. Generally primary and secondary get similar holidays:
- Mid-term break: 1 week off around Halloween.
- Christmas: 2 weeks off, generally the last week in December and the first week in January.
- Mid-term break: 1 week off in February
- Easter: 2 weeks off
- Summer holidays:
- Primary schools usually give students July and August off
- Secondary schools give students June, July and August off. The exam years, 3rd and 6th year, have about two weeks of exams in June.
Irish Higher Education Holidays
- First semester generally runs from mid to late September, and sometimes early October to December.
- Second semester usually runs from January to mid or late May with a break for Easter of up to a month.
Christian
What type of special needs schools does Ireland offer, our son is currently in Primary School South Africa, we have a further 2 years before we complete, any advise will be highly appreciated.
Joanne
Do we have dates for school terms? The country is in full lockdown. No progress with vaccines. Getting worse not better.
Z
so schools in Ireland don’t take off for one day holidays? like a three day weekend?
Joanne
You would be bat s€&t crazy to move to Ireland. The whole place is locked down. Huge unemployment, nothing open. Over One year in lockdown probably explains it.
Tula
What time does the Post-primary and primary get off at? And when do the start?
Colleen
Primary schools usually 9.30am-3pm, but some schools may have variances of this time.
Allen
Has Coronavirus affected secondary schools in Ireland ?
Allen
Are they still in session ? Is what I mean .
Colleen
All schools and universities in the Republic of Ireland were closed announced 12th March and in affect until 29 March TFN.
Northern Ireland schools remain open at this time.
david haverty
Do you have the dates for the February midterm??
Colleen
You can find the school holiday dates on the Irish public holidays website.