How Long Is Summer Break In Ireland

School is officially over for another nine months, but how long is summer break in Ireland? This can be an important question in school circles depending on where you live. Among parents who send their children to summer camps, even. For many people, summer is the time to explore and travel around the world. Many people also enjoy this time of year because they have more free time on their hands. In order for students to make the most out of their break and do something fun with their free time, it’s important to know how long summer break is in Ireland.

The vacation period called Summer Break in Ireland can be a little confusing for American families visiting relatives. The first thing you must remember is that the school year ends with St. Patrick’s Day and summer classes start in June for first-year students. The schools are closed during the July and August break, except for the weeks prior to September when orientation programs for the following year take place. This means that college students will have most of July to themselves.

How Long Is Summer Break In Ireland

On the other side of the world, Irish families are starting to plan their summer vacations. While we may be on winter break, U.S. education calendars are nothing like those in Ireland. This infographic explores the different summer break dates for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It also discusses whether or not you should incorporate an international trip into your family vacation plans. The Irish summer is quite different to the English summer. It’s shorter, but it can get surprisingly hot each year. A lot of factors need to be considered before you decide when you’re going during your holiday, from the weather to the best places and attractions in Ireland to visit…

Introduction

Schools in Ireland are obliged to open for 183 days per year at primary level and 167 days per year at post-primary level. At one time, schools had a good deal of flexibility about the start and end of school terms. This meant that there was considerable variation about when students returned to school after holidays such as Christmas and mid-term breaks.

Since 2004 school terms have been standardised under a series of agreements made between representatives of schools, teacher unions, parents’ organisations and other relevant bodies.

The dates for the start and the end of the school year are not standardised so schools have some discretion about when students finish school in the summer and when they start school in the autumn. All schools are closed for July and most (or all) of August. The dates for the Christmas, Easter and mid-term breaks are standardised.

At the start of the school year, parents/guardians will get a list of days that the school will be closed during the year, including holidays and training days for teachers. If there are other unexpected closures the school will let you know in advance.

The Department of Education circular 0005/2020 deals with the standardisation of the school years from 2020/21 to 2022/23. The circulars also provides guidance about how schools can make up any time that is lost due to unforeseen closures.

School year

Start and end of the school year

The dates for the start and the end of the school year at both primary and post-primary level are not fixed. However, due to the start of State exams, post-primary schools are usually not open after the Friday before the June public holiday (the first Monday in June) in any year. The school year generally starts in the week in which 1 September falls.

Discretionary days

Every school must be open for a minimum of 183 days at primary level and 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, it can denote that day a non-tuition day.

School year 2021/22

October 2021 mid-term break

All schools close from Monday 25 October 2021 to Friday 29 October 2021 inclusive.

Christmas 2021

All schools close on Wednesday 22 December 2021, which is the final day of the school term. All schools re-open on Thursday 6 January 2022.

February 2022 mid-term break

Primary schools close for 2 days, on Thursday 24 February 2022 and Friday 25 February 2022. Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this to a 5-day break starting on Monday 21 February 2022 unless they need these days to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Post-primary schools close for a week, from Monday 21 February 2022 to Friday 25 February 2022 inclusive, unless changes are needed to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

If a post-primary school needs to make up such time, it may shorten the mid-term break by staying open up to and including Wednesday 23 February 2022.

Easter 2022

All schools close on Friday 8 April 2022, which is the final day of the school term, unless changes are needed to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. If a school needs to make up such time, it may shorten the Easter break by staying open up to and including Wednesday 13 April 2022.

All schools re-open on Monday 25 April 2022.

School Year 2022/23

October 2022 mid-term break

All schools close from Monday 31 October 2022 to Friday 4 November 2022 inclusive.

Christmas 2022

All schools close on Wednesday 21 December 2022, which is the final day of the school term. All schools re-open on Thursday 5 January 2023.

February 2023 mid-term break

All primary schools close on Thursday 16 February 2023 and Friday 17 February 2023. Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this to a 5 day break starting on Monday 13 February 2023 unless they need these days to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Post-primary schools close for a week, from Monday 13 February 2023 to Friday 17 February 2023 inclusive, unless changes are needed to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

If a post-primary school needs to make up such time, it may shorten the mid-term break by staying open up to and including Wednesday 15 February 2023.

Easter 2023

All schools close on Friday 31 March 2023, which is the final day of the school term, unless changes are needed to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. If a school needs to make up such time, it may shorten the Easter break by staying open up to and including Wednesday 5 April 2023.