did the clocks go forward: at 1: 00 a. m. ET on Sunday clocks will instead read 2: 00 a. m. as daylight savings time commences, costing the usual hour of the Sunday lie-in but promising brighter summer evenings across the region. The move affects Ireland, which shifts at the same time as the UK and Portugal and most of the European Union; many devices will update automatically while some alarm clocks and thermostats may not. The change follows decades of debate and a 2019 European Parliament vote to end the practice that has not been implemented.
Did The Clocks Go Forward — What happens at 1: 00 a. m. ET
At 1: 00 a. m. ET on Sunday, clocks will read 2: 00 a. m. as daylight savings time begins; the immediate practical effect is the loss of one hour of sleep for those observing the switch. Many modern phones and laptops will reflect the time change without user action, but some digital devices, including certain alarms and thermostats, may not shift automatically and will need manual adjustment. Ireland has observed daylight savings time since 1916, with a pause between 1968 and 1972, and the current practice remains in place despite political debate.
Immediate Reactions
Seán Kelly, Irish MEP and chair of the European Parliament’s Working Group on the Biannual Clock Change, called for a permanent move away from switching. “This Sunday we should put the clocks forward one last time and leave them there for good, ” said Seán Kelly, Irish MEP, chair of the European Parliament’s Working Group on the Biannual Clock Change. He added: “People love the longer evenings, the extra daylight and what we fondly refer to as the ‘grand stretch in the evenings’. It lifts the mood, it gets people outdoors and the benefits for everyone in terms of both mental and physical health are undeniable. ”
What to check now and what comes next
Households are advised to check manual clocks and devices that may not update themselves; the smallest devices that were once wound by hand are less common, but some digital timers will still need attention. Those asking did the clocks go forward will find the answer in their device settings if automatic updates are enabled; otherwise a short manual check will prevent missed alarms or thermostat setbacks. The wider political debate remains unresolved: the European Parliament voted in 2019 to end the twice-yearly change but no implementing steps have taken place, and concerns persist about progressing unilaterally without neighbours following suit.
International differences are notable: much of North America moved to daylight savings time earlier, from mid-March, while Australia and New Zealand will shift on a different schedule as they move toward their winter. The majority of the world — including China, India, Russia, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa — does not change clocks at all. For now, did the clocks go forward is a practical, annual question for many households rather than a settled political change.
Looking ahead, expect continued public and political discussion about abandoning the practice and calls to coordinate any change across borders; in the immediate term, the next steps for residents are simple: check non-automatic clocks, reset alarms and thermostats if necessary, and plan for the shorter Sunday lie-in as the region moves into longer, brighter evenings.
