Ireland 2015/16 - academic year

Beginning of the academic year

1 September 2015, Universities and Institutes of Technology are
autonomous bodies. Occurs generally in September or October.

Teaching activity and holidays of the academic year

Teaching activity: 1 September – 23 October 2015

Holiday: 26-30 October 2015

Teaching activity and holidays: 2 November – 18 December 2015 All periods of teaching activity and holidays are fixed by each individual University or Institute. Certain dates, such as 25 December, 1 January or 17 March, are nevertheless regarded as public holidays by Universities and Institutes.

Holiday: 21 December 2015 – 3 January 2016 (Christmas)

Teaching activity: From 4 January 2016 until the examinations

Holidays: 17 March 2016, 21 March – 3 April 2016 (Easter), 2 May 2016

Teaching activity: From 4 April 2016 until the examinations

Examinations of the academic year

Two weeks in February.

For Institutes of Technology, it’s usually two weeks during May. For Universities, it’s usually two weeks during June.

Teachers and students are entirely free to fix examination dates jointly. Each University or Institute manages this separately.

End of the academic year

Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous bodies. For Universities, the academic year generally ends at the date the new one begins. For Institutes of Technology, the academic year generally ends in June.