Northern Ireland School Holidays (2026)

School holidays in Northern Ireland are set by regional local authorities or local education councils. Students in Northern Ireland break for five annual holidays during the school year. Generally, the schools have shorter half-term breaks, without the mid-term break in the summer term, but they have an additional two weeks’ extension during the summer holiday.

The holiday dates for public schools and private schools in Northern Ireland may slightly differ, therefore, for more updated information, please visit individual websites of schools in Northern Ireland, as per the Department of Education.

When are school holidays in Northern Ireland?

What are the other holidays in Northern Ireland?

New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is observed on January 1st, according to the Gregorian calendar, in celebration of the start of the new year.

St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17th and commemorates St. Patrick, Northern Ireland’s patron saint. Arguably, St. Patrick is considered to be one of the most famous patron saints of Ireland.

Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and celebrates Jesus’ resurrection. This day is usually observed in either March or April.

Battle of the BoyneNorthern Irelan
Northern Ireland observes the Battle of the Boyne on July 12th in commemoration of the Boyne battle which occurred in 1690 on Ireland’s eastern coast. This day is also referred to as Orangemen’s Day, Orange Day, or the Glorious Twelfth.

Summer Bank Holiday
This is a public holiday observed on the last Monday of August and marks the conclusion of the summer holiday all across the United Kingdom.

Christmas Day
Christmas Day is observed on December 25th in celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.

Boxing Day
Boxing Day is also referred to as St. Stephen’s Day or the Second Day of Christmas and is usually observed on December 26th. St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr.

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