Clocks to go back tonight to mark official end of summer

Updated / Saturday, 24 Oct 2026 15:43

Clocks are due to go back by one hour overnight to mark the official end of Irish summertime.

This means that at 2am the time on the clock will change to 1am.

Each year, on the last Sunday of October, clocks go back one hour, which also happens across the European Union.

It follows an earlier change this year, when the clocks went forward by one hour at 1am on the last Sunday of March (29 March, 2026).

The clocks change in order to make the best use of the natural light as the Earth orbits the sun, changing its exposure.

Ireland operates under the same time as the UK.

This is one hour behind Central European Time, which is used in most of the EU.

In 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of ending these seasonal time changes.

EU institutions have not made progress on implementing the decision, and the European Commission has said that it does not plan to submit a new proposal on the matter to the Parliament.

This means that no changes are expected to summer and winter time in the coming years.

Additionally, the Department of Justice has raised concerns about having two different time zones on the island of Ireland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

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Read more: Everything you need to know about the clocks changing in 2026