Mid-term break in Ireland: October 2026 dates for all schools
All schools in Ireland close for the October mid-term break from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026, primary and post-primary alike. Pupils go back on Monday 2 November. The dates are set by the Department of Education and Youth in Circular 0018/2026, which fixes the main breaks for every school for 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29.
School holidays 2026/27 at a glance
| Break | Primary schools | Post-primary schools |
|---|---|---|
| October mid-term | Closed Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 | |
| Christmas | Last day of term Tuesday 22 December 2026; back on Wednesday 6 January 2027 | |
| February mid-term | Closed Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February 2027 (a school may make it 15 to 19 February) | Closed Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Easter | Last day of term Friday 19 March 2027; back on Monday 5 April 2027 | |
The circular says schools must be open for all pupils on the weekday just before and just after each break. For the October break, that means school is on as normal on Friday 23 October and on Monday 2 November.
Why the break starts on the bank holiday
Monday 26 October is the October bank holiday, which always falls on the last Monday of October (Citizens Information). The circular lists the timing of that bank holiday as one of the things the unions and the department took into account, so the break is the full week starting on it.
Can my child's school change the dates?
Not the October break: the dates above apply to all schools. Schools have some freedom elsewhere.
- Start and end of the year: each school picks its own first and last days, within the 182 days primary schools and the 166 days post-primary schools must be open.
- February: primary schools can use three of their discretionary days to turn the two-day February break into a full week.
- Lost days: if a school has to close for a long time without warning, for example in severe weather, it may shorten the February break, and primary schools may also shorten the Easter break, to make up the time. Its contingency plan sets out how.
- Religious observance: schools of different patronage may close on specific days their religious observance requires, within the same minimum number of days.
Every school must give parents a calendar at the start of the year and publish it, with its contingency plan, on its website. That is the place to check for any extra closed days.
The same pattern next year
The circular also fixes the October break for the next two school years, again the week of the October bank holiday:
- 2027: Monday 25 to Friday 29 October 2027
- 2028: Monday 30 October to Friday 3 November 2028
Because the break is the same for every school, families with children in different schools get the same week off. The department says that avoiding problems for those families was one of its aims.
