Christmas school holidays 2026
Primary schools in Ireland close for Christmas from Wednesday, 23 December to Tuesday 5 January 2027. Last day of term is Tuesday 22 December. Schools reopen Wednesday 6 January.
Classroom countdown: school days until Christmas, for the whiteboard
Put the school holidays in your calendar
One tap adds every mid-term, Christmas, Easter and bank holiday to your phone's calendar. It updates itself when new years are announced.
Questions parents ask
- When do primary schools close for Christmas 2026?
- Primary schools in Ireland close for Christmas from Wednesday, 23 December to Tuesday 5 January 2027. Last day of term is Tuesday 22 December. Schools reopen Wednesday 6 January.
- When do schools go back after Christmas 2026?
- Primary schools reopen on Wednesday 6 January 2027.
- How many days off school is Christmas 2026?
- 10 weekdays with schools closed. That's how many days of leave or childcare working parents need to cover it.
- Do all primary schools have the same dates?
- Yes for this break. The Department of Education sets the main breaks for every primary school (Department of Education Circular 0018/2026: Standardisation of the school year 2026/27 to 2028/29).
More school holiday dates
- October mid-term 2026 Mon, 26 October to Fri 30 October 2026
- February mid-term 2027 Thu, 18 February to Fri 19 February 2027
- Easter school holidays 2027 Mon, 22 March to Fri 2 April 2027
- Christmas school holidays 2027 Thu 23 December 2027 to Wed 5 January 2028
- Christmas school holidays 2028 Mon 25 December 2028 to Fri 5 January 2029
- Every school holiday in 2026/27
- Is school open today?
Where these dates come from
Department of Education Circular 0018/2026: Standardisation of the school year 2026/27 to 2028/29.
These are the dates for primary schools. Secondary schools follow a similar calendar with some differences: see secondary school term dates.