Public holidays are observed in the Republic of Ireland on: The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries, with the exception of the United States where usage differs greatly. ...

• New Year's Day, 1 January^[1]
• St Patrick's Day, 17 March^[1]
• Easter Monday, moveable
• Labour Day/May Day, the first Monday in May
• June Bank Holiday, the first Monday in June
• August Bank Holiday, the first Monday in August
• October Bank Holiday (sometimes called the Halloween holiday), the last Monday in October
• Christmas Day, 25 December^[1]
• St Stephen's Day, 26 December^[1]

The most recent public holiday to be added was May Day (Labour Day). This holiday, taken as the first Monday in May, was introduced in 1994. Recently, senior politicians (including Ruairi Quinn TD) have been considering the addition of one or two extra public holidays in order to bring the number of such holidays in Ireland closer to the European average. It is considered likely that this will happen in the next year or two.^{[citation needed]} This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures. ... In Christianity, a moveable feast or movable feast is a holy day — a feast or a fast — whose date is not fixed to a particular day of the calendar year but moves in response to the date of Easter, the date of which varies according to a complex formula. ... Labour Day Parade in Toronto in early 1900s A Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ... May Day is May 1, and refers to any of several holidays celebrated on this day. ... A Bank Holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland. ... Halloween, or Halloween, is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other gifts, called most commonly trick-or-treating. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... December 26, the day following Christmas Day, is called St. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 361st in leap years. ... May Day is May 1, and refers to any of several holidays celebrated on this day. ... Labour Day Parade in Toronto in early 1900s A Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ... Ruairi Quinn (Irish: Ruairí Ó Cuinn) (born 2 April 1946) is an Irish Labour politician. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ...

School Holidays (Primary)

• In the Republic of Ireland the academic year in primary schools lasts from September 1 to June 30.
• The academic year is composed of 183 schooldays (with 6 in-service days this is reduced to 177) and schools are not open in July or August (though for flexibility school may open for the last two/three days of August).

• The first mid-term break is always the last week of October (commonly called the Halloween break).
• Many (though not all) Catholic schools (approximately 95% of Irish primary schools) close for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
• The Christmas break lasts from the last schoolday before December 23 to the first weekday after January 6 (17-21 days).
• The second mid-term break is a minimum of two days to a maximum of five days duration taken in the third week of February (commonly called the Shrove break).
• The Easter break consists of a week before Easter to the 2nd Monday after Easter (10 school days or 16 days inclusive).
• In the last term holidays are flexible and are generally arranged around the public holidays in May and June.

Halloween, or Halloween, is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other gifts, called most commonly trick-or-treating. ... The Feast of the Immaculate Conception Originally called the Conception of Mary; under the name of Immaculate Conception, the observance in the West celebrates the Roman Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ... A typical meal of pancakes In the Christian calendar, Shrove Tuesday is the English name for the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which in turn marks the beginning of Lent. ...

School Holidays (Post-Primary/Secondary)

• In the Republic of Ireland the academic year in secondary schools lasts from September 1 to May 31.
• The academic year is composed of 167 schooldays and schools are not open in June, July or August (though for flexibility school may open for the first week of June or last two/three days of August).
• The first mid-term break begins on the last weekend before October 31 and lasts for one week.
• Many Catholic schools (approximately 90% of Irish secondary schools) close for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
• The Christmas break lasts from the last schoolday before December 23 to the first weekday after January 6 (17-21 days).
• The second mid-term break begins on the last schoolday in the second week of February and lasts for one week.
• The Easter break consists of a week before Easter to the second Monday after Easter (10 school days or 16 days inclusive).
• The school year ends on the first Friday of June.
• The state examinations (the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations) begin the Wednesday after the June Bank Holiday.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception Originally called the Conception of Mary; under the name of Immaculate Conception, the observance in the West celebrates the Roman Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ... A Statement of Provisional Results is issued in the September after the examination, a final certificate is issued at a later date. ... The Leaving Certificate (Irish: Ardteistiméireacht), commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert (Irish: Ardteist) is the final course in the Irish secondary school system and culminates with the Leaving Certificate Examination. ...

Footnote

External links

• Irish primary school teachers website
• Public holidays in Ireland (Government site)

See also

• Irish calendar