🍀 Ireland 2026 Calendar

Complete Guide to Bank Holidays, Primary School & Secondary School Holidays

Plan Your 2026 with Confidence

Welcome to Ireland's most comprehensive calendar resource for 2026. Whether you're a parent planning family holidays, a teacher preparing the school year, or an employee tracking bank holidays, our interactive calendar has everything you need.

Ireland celebrates 10 public bank holidays throughout the year, and school children enjoy approximately 14 weeks of holidays including mid-term breaks, Easter, summer, and Christmas vacations.

10
Bank Holidays
6
School Breaks
183
School Days

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Get a printable version showing all holidays for both primary and secondary schools.

Calendar Colour Guide

Bank Holiday Public holidays
All Schools Closed Primary & Secondary
Secondary Only Post-primary closed
Primary Only Primary closed
Weekend Saturday & Sunday

2026 Calendar

JANUARY

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 🔴 New Year's Day + School Holiday
2 🟣 All Schools Closed
3 🟣 All Schools Closed
4 🟣 All Schools Closed
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

FEBRUARY

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2 🔴 St. Brigid's Day
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 🔵 Secondary Only
17 🔵 Secondary Only
18 🔵 Secondary Only
19 🟣 All Schools Closed
20 🟣 All Schools Closed
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

MARCH

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17 🔴 St. Patrick's Day
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 🟣 All Schools Closed
29 🟣 All Schools Closed
30 🟣 All Schools Closed
31 🟣 All Schools Closed

APRIL

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 🟣 All Schools Closed
2 🟣 All Schools Closed
3 🟣 All Schools Closed
4 🟣 All Schools Closed
5 🟣 All Schools Closed
6 🔴 Easter Monday + School Holiday
7 🟣 All Schools Closed
8 🟣 All Schools Closed
9 🟣 All Schools Closed
10 🟣 All Schools Closed
11 🟣 All Schools Closed
12 🟣 All Schools Closed
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

MAY

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4 🔴 May Bank Holiday
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 🔵 Secondary Only
26 🔵 Secondary Only
27 🔵 Secondary Only
28 🔵 Secondary Only
29 🔵 Secondary Only
30 🔵 Secondary Only
31 🔵 Secondary Only

JUNE

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 🔴 June Bank Holiday
2 🔵 Secondary Only
3 🔵 Secondary Only
4 🔵 Secondary Only
5 🔵 Secondary Only
6 🔵 Secondary Only
7 🔵 Secondary Only
8 🔵 Secondary Only
9 🔵 Secondary Only
10 🔵 Secondary Only
11 🔵 Secondary Only
12 🔵 Secondary Only
13 🔵 Secondary Only
14 🔵 Secondary Only
15 🔵 Secondary Only
16 🔵 Secondary Only
17 🔵 Secondary Only
18 🔵 Secondary Only
19 🔵 Secondary Only
20 🔵 Secondary Only
21 🔵 Secondary Only
22 🔵 Secondary Only
23 🔵 Secondary Only
24 🔵 Secondary Only
25 🔵 Secondary Only
26 🔵 Secondary Only
27 🔵 Secondary Only
28 🔵 Secondary Only
29 🔵 Secondary Only
30 🔵 Secondary Only

JULY

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 🟣 All Schools Closed
2 🟣 All Schools Closed
3 🟣 All Schools Closed
4 🟣 All Schools Closed
5 🟣 All Schools Closed
6 🟣 All Schools Closed
7 🟣 All Schools Closed
8 🟣 All Schools Closed
9 🟣 All Schools Closed
10 🟣 All Schools Closed
11 🟣 All Schools Closed
12 🟣 All Schools Closed
13 🟣 All Schools Closed
14 🟣 All Schools Closed
15 🟣 All Schools Closed
16 🟣 All Schools Closed
17 🟣 All Schools Closed
18 🟣 All Schools Closed
19 🟣 All Schools Closed
20 🟣 All Schools Closed
21 🟣 All Schools Closed
22 🟣 All Schools Closed
23 🟣 All Schools Closed
24 🟣 All Schools Closed
25 🟣 All Schools Closed
26 🟣 All Schools Closed
27 🟣 All Schools Closed
28 🟣 All Schools Closed
29 🟣 All Schools Closed
30 🟣 All Schools Closed
31 🟣 All Schools Closed

AUGUST

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 🟣 All Schools Closed
2 🟣 All Schools Closed
3 🔴 August Bank Holiday + School Holiday
4 🟣 All Schools Closed
5 🟣 All Schools Closed
6 🟣 All Schools Closed
7 🟣 All Schools Closed
8 🟣 All Schools Closed
9 🟣 All Schools Closed
10 🟣 All Schools Closed
11 🟣 All Schools Closed
12 🟣 All Schools Closed
13 🟣 All Schools Closed
14 🟣 All Schools Closed
15 🟣 All Schools Closed
16 🟣 All Schools Closed
17 🟣 All Schools Closed
18 🟣 All Schools Closed
19 🟣 All Schools Closed
20 🟣 All Schools Closed
21 🟣 All Schools Closed
22 🟣 All Schools Closed
23 🟣 All Schools Closed
24 🟣 All Schools Closed
25 🟣 All Schools Closed
26 🟣 All Schools Closed
27 🟣 All Schools Closed
28 🟣 All Schools Closed
29 🟣 All Schools Closed
30 🟣 All Schools Closed
31 🟣 All Schools Closed

SEPTEMBER

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

OCTOBER

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26 🔴 October Bank Holiday + School Holiday
27 🟣 All Schools Closed
28 🟣 All Schools Closed
29 🟣 All Schools Closed
30 🟣 All Schools Closed
31

NOVEMBER

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

DECEMBER

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 🟣 All Schools Closed
24 🟣 All Schools Closed
25 🔴 Christmas Day + School Holiday
26 🔴 St. Stephen's Day + School Holiday
27 🟣 All Schools Closed
28 🟣 All Schools Closed
29 🟣 All Schools Closed
30 🟣 All Schools Closed
31 🟣 All Schools Closed

Key Differences: Primary vs Secondary School Holidays

⚠️ Important Differences for 2026

📚 February Mid-Term

Secondary: Full week (Mon 16 - Fri 20 Feb)

Primary: 2 days only (Thu 19 - Fri 20 Feb)*

*Primary schools can extend using discretionary days

☀️ Summer Holidays Start

Secondary: Late May (before State exams)

Primary: Late June (typically last week)

Secondary closes ~4 weeks earlier

📅 Total School Days

Secondary: Minimum 167 days

Primary: Minimum 183 days

16 more days for primary students

Complete Holiday Comparison Table

Holiday Period 🟢 Primary School 🔵 Secondary School
Christmas Break (cont.) 1 - 4 January 2026 1 - 4 January 2026
February Mid-Term Thu 19 - Fri 20 Feb (2 days) Mon 16 - Fri 20 Feb (5 days)
Easter Break 28 March - 12 April 2026 28 March - 12 April 2026
Summer Holidays Start ~27 June 2026 ~25 May 2026
Summer Holidays End ~31 August 2026 ~31 August 2026
October Mid-Term 26 - 30 October 2026 26 - 30 October 2026
Christmas Break 23 - 31 December 2026 23 - 31 December 2026

Why Are The Holidays Different?

The differences in school holidays between primary and secondary schools exist for several practical reasons:

  • State Examinations: Secondary schools close earlier in summer to accommodate the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams, which typically run from early June.
  • Curriculum Requirements: Primary schools have more teaching days (183 vs 167) to cover the primary curriculum, which includes foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
  • February Mid-Term: Secondary students receive a full week to allow for study and revision, while primary schools have more flexibility with discretionary days.
  • Teacher Training: Both school types have different professional development requirements that affect scheduling.

Irish Bank Holidays 2026

Ireland has 10 public bank holidays in 2026. These apply to all workers and both primary and secondary schools are closed on these days.

🎉 New Year's Day

Thursday, 1st January 2026

Start of the new year. Schools remain closed as part of Christmas break.

🕯️ St. Brigid's Day

Monday, 2nd February 2026

Ireland's newest bank holiday, celebrating St. Brigid and the start of spring.

☘️ St. Patrick's Day

Tuesday, 17th March 2026

Ireland's national day with parades and celebrations nationwide.

🐰 Easter Monday

Monday, 6th April 2026

Part of the Easter break. All schools closed for Easter holidays.

🌸 May Bank Holiday

Monday, 4th May 2026

First Monday of May, marking the start of summer.

☀️ June Bank Holiday

Monday, 1st June 2026

First Monday of June. Secondary schools may already be closed for exams.

🏖️ August Bank Holiday

Monday, 3rd August 2026

First Monday of August, during summer holidays for all schools.

🍂 October Bank Holiday

Monday, 26th October 2026

Last Monday of October, coinciding with mid-term break.

🎄 Christmas Day

Friday, 25th December 2026

Christmas Day, during the Christmas school holidays.

🎁 St. Stephen's Day

Saturday, 26th December 2026

Also known as Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.

School Term Dates 2026

Understanding School Terms in Ireland

The Irish school year is divided into three terms, with breaks for Christmas, mid-terms, and Easter. The Department of Education sets standardised dates for major breaks, but individual schools have some flexibility with discretionary days.

Primary School Requirements

  • Minimum 183 school days per year (182 for special schools)
  • Schools typically open late August/early September
  • Schools typically close in the last week of June
  • February mid-term: 2 mandatory days (Thu-Fri), can extend with discretionary days
  • Junior Infants may have reduced hours for first 10 days

Secondary School Requirements

  • Minimum 167 school days per year
  • Schools typically open late August/early September
  • Schools close before June bank holiday (due to State exams)
  • February mid-term: Full week (Mon-Fri)
  • June is primarily for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams

Discretionary Days

Schools have discretionary days that can be used for:

  • Extending bank holiday weekends
  • Religious observance days
  • Teacher training days
  • Extending the February mid-term (primary schools)

Note: Discretionary days cannot be used to extend Christmas, Easter, or October mid-term breaks (unless for religious observance).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my secondary school child have a longer February mid-term than my primary school child? ▼
Secondary schools are mandated to close for the full week (Monday to Friday) during February mid-term. Primary schools only have Thursday and Friday as mandatory closure days, though many choose to extend this using their discretionary days. Check with your primary school as policies vary.
When do secondary schools close for summer 2026? ▼
Secondary schools typically close in late May, before the June bank holiday. This is because the State examinations (Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate) begin in early June. The exact date varies by school, but most close around 25-29 May 2026.
Can primary schools extend the February mid-term to a full week? ▼
Yes, primary schools can use up to 3 discretionary days to extend the February mid-term from 2 days to a full week (Monday to Friday). However, this depends on whether the school has discretionary days available and hasn't needed them for unforeseen closures (like bad weather).
Why do primary schools have more school days than secondary schools? ▼
Primary schools must be open for a minimum of 183 days, while secondary schools require 167 days. This difference exists because primary education focuses on foundational skills requiring more contact time, while secondary schools have longer class periods and the June examination period reduces available teaching days.
Are the October and Christmas breaks the same for all schools? ▼
Yes, the October mid-term break (26-30 October 2026) and Christmas break are standardised across all primary and secondary schools. The Department of Education sets these dates nationally, so families can plan knowing both primary and secondary children will be off at the same time.
What happens if a school needs to close unexpectedly? ▼
If a school has unforeseen closures (e.g., due to bad weather, heating failure), they may need to make up the time. This could mean shortening the February mid-term or Easter break. Schools will communicate any changes to parents in advance.

Quick Links

2026 Bank Holidays

  • 1 Jan - New Year's Day
  • 2 Feb - St. Brigid's Day
  • 17 Mar - St. Patrick's Day
  • 6 Apr - Easter Monday
  • 4 May - May Bank Holiday
  • 1 Jun - June Bank Holiday
  • 3 Aug - August Bank Holiday
  • 26 Oct - October Bank Holiday
  • 25 Dec - Christmas Day
  • 26 Dec - St. Stephen's Day

About This Site

Ireland School Calendar provides accurate, easy-to-understand calendar information for Irish families. We clearly show the differences between primary and secondary school holidays to help parents plan effectively.

Data sourced from the Department of Education.

© 2026 Ireland School Calendar | Information based on Department of Education guidelines

Always verify dates with your individual school as some flexibility exists.