Ireland school holidays vs UK
Ireland and the UK share a near-identical holiday structure, but the dates don't always line up. October half-term overlaps closely, Christmas is almost identical, and summer is where the difference matters: Irish schools finish in late June, three to four weeks before English schools.
Find your quietest window
School holiday data from 218 UK councils · 4 nations · 18 EU countries
UK holidays vs Irish school holidays
Clash = significant overlap with Irish holidays: busier destinations and higher prices. Clear = UK schools off, Irish schools in: quieter and often cheaper.
Irish school holiday dates
Ireland operates a single national standardised calendar set by the Department of Education (Circular 0018/2026). Dates apply to all public primary and post-primary schools.
- Summer 2026
- Halloween break 2026
- Christmas 2026/27
- February mid-term 2027
- Easter 2027
- Summer 2027
- Halloween break 2027
- Christmas 2027/28
- February mid-term 2028
- Easter 2028
- Summer 2028
- Halloween break 2028
- Christmas 2028/29
February mid-term
- February mid-term 2027
- February mid-term 2028
The June gap
Irish primary schools close in the last week of June (around 26 June 2027). English schools don't finish until late July. That three-to-four week window is when the Wild Atlantic Way, Killarney, Connemara and Dublin are at their summer best: warm, staffed for the season, and full of Irish domestic visitors but not yet at UK peak demand.
Post-primary schools finish even earlier (typically around 19–20 June) because Leaving Certificate exams run from early June. From mid-June, most Irish secondary-age children are finished and many Irish families are already travelling.
Halloween: the closest alignment
In 2027, both Irish and English schools take the week of 25–29 October off. Ferry crossings to Dublin and Rosslare, Airbnbs in Kerry, and family hotels in Galway see a spike from both sides of the Irish Sea. Book well ahead or consider the week before, which falls in Irish term time and is quieter.
Christmas: effectively identical
Irish schools close 22 December and reopen 6 January, an almost exact match with English schools. The period 23 December to 5 January is a complete clash. Early December, before either country breaks up, is a genuinely quieter window for Dublin city breaks.
Irish school holiday dates sourced from Department of Education Circular 0018/2026, standardising school years 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29. Verified via citizensinformation.ie and schooldays.ie. Summer term end dates vary by school.