{
  "country": "IE",
  "zone": "IE",
  "source_url": "https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/2602a673/2026.01.30_FINAL_Circular_SSY_2026.29_30_Jan_2026_English.pdf",
  "source_page_url": "https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/standardisation-of-the-school-year-in-respect-of-primary-post-primary-schools-for-the-years-202627-202728-and-202829/",
  "source_title": "Circular 0018/2026, Standardisation of the school year in respect of primary and post-primary schools for the years 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29, Appendix A (Department of Education and Youth)",
  "attribution": "© Department of Education and Youth, Circular 0018/2026",
  "licence": "Department of Education re-use of public sector information: free re-use with acknowledgement of the source and its copyright, reproduced accurately, not misleading, not for the principal purpose of advertising a product. https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/organisation-information/re-use-of-public-sector-information-in-the-department-of-education/",
  "date_convention": "start_date and end_date are the first and last calendar day without school, inclusive, adjacent weekends included. A break closed for all schools is a period; days closed for one level only, or left to the school (discretionary days, contingency), are uncertain. The post-primary last day is the Friday before the June bank holiday; primary schools choose theirs; the school year starts during the week in which 1 September falls, or the week before.",
  "school_years": [
    {
      "school_year": "2026-2027",
      "periods": [
        { "label": "October mid-term break", "start_date": "2026-10-24", "end_date": "2026-11-01" },
        { "label": "Christmas holidays", "start_date": "2026-12-23", "end_date": "2027-01-05" },
        { "label": "February mid-term break", "start_date": "2027-02-18", "end_date": "2027-02-21" },
        { "label": "Easter holidays", "start_date": "2027-03-20", "end_date": "2027-04-04" },
        { "label": "Summer holidays", "start_date": "2027-07-01", "end_date": "2027-08-22" }
      ],
      "uncertain": [
        { "start_date": "2026-08-24", "end_date": "2026-09-04", "reason": "Start of the school year: each school picks its day" },
        { "start_date": "2027-02-13", "end_date": "2027-02-17", "reason": "Mid-term break: depends on the school (primary or post-primary)" },
        { "start_date": "2027-06-05", "end_date": "2027-06-30", "reason": "End of the school year: primary schools choose their last day" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "school_year": "2027-2028",
      "periods": [
        { "label": "October mid-term break", "start_date": "2027-10-23", "end_date": "2027-10-31" },
        { "label": "Christmas holidays", "start_date": "2027-12-23", "end_date": "2028-01-05" },
        { "label": "February mid-term break", "start_date": "2028-02-24", "end_date": "2028-02-27" },
        { "label": "Easter holidays", "start_date": "2028-04-08", "end_date": "2028-04-23" },
        { "label": "Summer holidays", "start_date": "2028-07-01", "end_date": "2028-08-20" }
      ],
      "uncertain": [
        { "start_date": "2027-08-23", "end_date": "2027-09-03", "reason": "Start of the school year: each school picks its day" },
        { "start_date": "2028-02-19", "end_date": "2028-02-23", "reason": "Mid-term break: depends on the school (primary or post-primary)" },
        { "start_date": "2028-06-03", "end_date": "2028-06-30", "reason": "End of the school year: primary schools choose their last day" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "school_year": "2028-2029",
      "periods": [
        { "label": "October mid-term break", "start_date": "2028-10-28", "end_date": "2028-11-05" },
        { "label": "Christmas holidays", "start_date": "2028-12-23", "end_date": "2029-01-07" },
        { "label": "February mid-term break", "start_date": "2029-02-15", "end_date": "2029-02-18" },
        { "label": "Easter holidays", "start_date": "2029-03-24", "end_date": "2029-04-08" }
      ],
      "uncertain": [
        { "start_date": "2028-08-21", "end_date": "2028-09-01", "reason": "Start of the school year: each school picks its day" },
        { "start_date": "2029-02-10", "end_date": "2029-02-14", "reason": "Mid-term break: depends on the school (primary or post-primary)" },
        { "start_date": "2029-06-02", "end_date": "2029-06-30", "reason": "End of the school year: primary schools choose their last day" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}