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People will be able to enjoy an extra hour in bed this weekend as the clocks go back for winter.
The annual clock change will take place in the early hours of Sunday, October 25, 2026, marking the end of Summer Time.
At 2am on Sunday morning, clocks will go back one hour to 1am, giving people an extra 60 minutes in bed.
The change means mornings will become brighter, but evenings will get darker earlier as Ireland moves into the winter months.
Remembering the old saying ‘spring forward, fall back’ can help you keep track of which way to change your clocks.
Daylight saving time began in Ireland at 1am on Sunday, March 29, 2026, when clocks moved forward by one hour.
Under current EU rules, clocks in member states move back one hour on the last Sunday in October and forward on the last Sunday in March.
This is despite the fact that, on March 26, 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of ending seasonal clock changes, with a proposal to allow member states to choose between permanent summer time and permanent winter time.
The proposal was intended to put an end to the twice-yearly practice, following an EU-wide public consultation in which the majority of respondents supported scrapping the clock change.
However, the plans have not been implemented, and the seasonal clock changes remain in place.
The practice of changing the clocks was introduced during the First World War as a way of saving energy by making better use of daylight during the summer months.
With the clocks going back this weekend, people across Ireland can look forward to an extra hour in bed although the earlier sunsets will be a reminder that winter is on the way.
