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Mid-Term Ireland

School holidays and bank holidays in Ireland

February mid-term in Ireland 2027, 2028 and 2029 for primary and post-primary schools

February mid-term break, every published school year
School yearPrimary schoolsPost-primary schoolsContingency Wednesday
2026/27

to inclusive2 days

Or the full week from to with three discretionary days (5 days).

to inclusive5 days

a school authority may stay open up to and including
2027/28

to inclusive2 days

Or the full week from to with three discretionary days (5 days).

to inclusive5 days

a school authority may stay open up to and including
2028/29

to inclusive2 days

Or the full week from to with three discretionary days (5 days).

to inclusive5 days

a school authority may stay open up to and including
2025/26past

to inclusive2 days

Or the full week from to with three discretionary days (5 days).

to inclusive5 days

a school authority may stay open up to and including

Whether a primary school takes the Thursday and Friday or the full week is its own choice, set out in the calendar it gives parents: the three discretionary days.

Making up time after unforeseen closures

To make up teaching time after unforeseen closures, schools may stay open up to and including the Wednesday shown in the table. The rules for each break specify which school authorities may use this permission.

The current circular, Circular 0018/2026, gives this general contingency rule:

the February mid-term break may be reduced by up to three days subject to the requirement that all schools must be closed on the Thursday and Friday of the week in which this break falls

School dates here follow the Department of Education and Youth's circulars for the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland schools follow a different calendar from their own Department of Education, which this site does not cover.

February mid-term break 2026/27 (post-primary schools): the break starts in 103 days, on Monday 15 February 2027.

February mid-term break 2026/27 (primary schools): the break starts in 106 days, on Thursday 18 February 2027.

Counted in Dublin time on Wednesday 4 November 2026.

At a glance

Primary school arrangementCalculated
two weekdays from Thursday 18 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027; schools may instead use three discretionary days to take the full week beginning Monday 15 February 2027, giving five weekdays off
Post-primary school closureCalculated
five weekdays from Monday 15 February 2027 until Friday 19 February 2027, inclusive
Public holidays withinCalculated
None within this break
Closure begins compared with 2025/26Calculated
one day earlier in the calendar than in 2025/26, when the date was Monday 16 February 2026
Length compared with 2025/26Calculated
The same number of weekdays as in 2025/26
Days off including adjoining weekends: Primary schoolsCalculated
four days, from Thursday 18 February 2027 to Sunday 21 February 2027, inclusive
Working days needing childcare: Primary schoolsCalculated
two weekdays to cover if you work Monday to Friday; no public holiday falls on a weekday of this break
Days off including adjoining weekends: Post-primary schoolsCalculated
nine days, from Saturday 13 February 2027 to Sunday 21 February 2027, inclusive
Working days needing childcare: Post-primary schoolsCalculated
five weekdays to cover if you work Monday to Friday; no public holiday falls on a weekday of this break

Figures marked Calculated are worked out from the dates in the circular or the Commission's list, or from dates established by the Act and the regulations. The sources do not give these figures directly.

Add all school breaks for 2026/27 to your calendar The file contains every standardised break for 2026/27, each with its source, and no other entries.

Secondary schools, called post-primary schools in the circular, are scheduled to close for the full February mid-term week. Primary schools close on Thursday and Friday and may use three discretionary days to take the full week. Schools making up time lost to unforeseen closures may stay open up to and including the Wednesday shown in the table. Check your school's calendar before arranging childcare or time off.

Year by year, in the circular's words

February mid-term break 2026/27

All primary schools will close on Thursday 18 February 2027 and Friday 19 February 2027.

Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5-day break for the period from Monday 15 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Post-primary schools will close from Monday 15 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Contingency: where time lost to unforeseen closures must be made up, the circular allows a school authority to keep the school open up to and including .

All standardised breaks of 2026/27

February mid-term break 2027/28

All primary schools will close on Thursday 24 February 2028 and Friday 25 February 2028.

Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5-day break for the period from Monday 21 February 2028 to Friday 25 February 2028 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Post-primary schools will close from Monday 21 February 2028 to Friday 25 February 2028 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Contingency: where time lost to unforeseen closures must be made up, the circular allows a school authority to keep the school open up to and including .

All standardised breaks of 2027/28

February mid-term break 2028/29

All primary schools will close on Thursday 15 February 2029 and 16 February 2029

primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5-day break for the period from Monday 12 February 2029 to Friday 16 February 2029 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Post-primary schools will close from Monday 12 February 2029 to Friday 16 February 2029 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Contingency: where time lost to unforeseen closures must be made up, the circular allows a school authority to keep the school open up to and including .

All standardised breaks of 2028/29

February mid-term break 2025/26

All primary schools will close on Thursday 19th February 2026 and 20th February 2026

Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 16th February 2026 to Friday 20th February 2026 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Post-primary schools will close from Monday 16th February 2026 to Friday 20th February 2026 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.

Contingency: where time lost to unforeseen closures must be made up, the circular allows a school authority to keep the school open up to and including .

All standardised breaks of 2025/26

Questions parents ask

How does February mid-term differ between primary and post-primary schools?

The circular gives post-primary schools Monday 15 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027, while the primary requirement covers Thursday 18 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027. Primary schools have an additional option to extend their break using discretionary days.

How can I tell whether a primary school takes the full week?

Check the school's own calendar. It shows whether the February break begins on Monday 15 February 2027, using discretionary days for the full week, or on Thursday 18 February 2027.

What does the contingency Wednesday mean?

Schools making up time lost to unforeseen closures may stay open up to and including Wednesday 17 February 2027. All schools must still close on the Thursday and Friday of mid-term week.

Official documents

Every date on this page was checked against these documents on . If anything here differs from the circular or the Act, the official text applies. How the dates are checked.