Bank Holidays in Ireland 2026 and 2027: Dates and Your Public Holiday Rights

Ireland has ten public holidays a year, usually called bank holidays. They are set by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and by regulations made under it, and the same Act decides what an employee gets for each one.

That second part catches many people out. A public holiday is not always a day off: the employer chooses between four options, part-time workers must meet a 40-hour test, and a holiday falling on a weekend does not move to the Monday.

Information last verified on 26 October 2026. This page is general legal information for the Republic of Ireland, not legal advice.

Public holidays in Ireland 2026 and 2027

The 2026 dates match the lists published by Citizens Information and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC); the 2027 dates match Citizens Information. Easter Monday is the only holiday whose date moves with the church calendar.

In 2026, St Stephen's Day falls on a Saturday. In 2027, both Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day fall on a weekend. The section on weekend public holidays below explains what that means for pay and time off.

Where the ten public holidays come from

Nine of the holidays are listed in the Second Schedule to the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997: Christmas Day, St Stephen's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, the first Monday in May, June and August, the last Monday in October, and 1 January. The Schedule also allows the Minister to prescribe other days by regulation.

St Brigid's Day was added that way. The Organisation of Working Time (Covid-19 Commemoration) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 50 of 2022) prescribe the first Monday in February each year from 2023. In any year when 1 February falls on a Friday, the holiday is 1 February itself. That does not arise in 2026 or 2027.

The same Regulations created a one-off public holiday on 18 March 2022. Citizens Information describes the annual count as having increased from 9 in 2022.

Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland?

No. Both the WRC and Citizens Information state that Good Friday is not a public holiday. Any day off on Good Friday comes from the employer, the contract or a collective agreement.

The Act does allow an employer to substitute a church holiday for a public holiday, with at least 14 days' notice. The church holidays named are 6 January, Ascension Thursday, Corpus Christi, 15 August, 1 November and 8 December. This option is rarely used.

What do you get for a public holiday?

Section 21(1) of the 1997 Act gives an employee, for each public holiday, whichever one of these the employer decides:

1. a paid day off on the day
2. a paid day off within a month of the day
3. an extra day of annual leave
4. an extra day's pay

Where the public holiday falls on a day the employee would not normally work, option 1 drops out and the employer chooses from options 2, 3 and 4.

Asking your employer which option applies

An employee can ask the employer, at least 21 days before the public holiday, which option will apply. The employer must reply at least 14 days before the holiday.

If the employer does not reply in time, section 21(3) treats the employee as getting a paid day off on the public holiday itself. Where the holiday falls on a day the employee would not normally work, the fallback is an extra day's pay instead.

What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?

The holiday stays on its date. When a public holiday falls on a day that is not a normal working day for the business, such as a Saturday or Sunday, the WRC says employees still have the benefit, using options 2, 3 or 4 above, but there is no legal entitlement to have the next working day off. Citizens Information says the same.

So for St Stephen's Day on Saturday 26 December 2026, and for Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day 2027, the law does not move the holiday to Monday 28 December or any other weekday. Some reports describe a "bank holiday Monday" in those weeks. That is not the legal position, although an employer can choose to give the following Monday as a paid day off within the month.

Working on a public holiday

The Act does not give a general right to work, or not to work, on a public holiday. That depends on the contract and the roster.

If you do work on the day, the WRC says you are paid for the work at your agreed rate and you also have the public holiday benefit. There is no statutory double time. The extra is whichever section 21 option the employer chooses, unless a contract, collective agreement or employment regulation order gives more.

Part-time workers and the 40-hour rule

The hours test does not apply to whole-time employees. A part-time employee qualifies for a particular public holiday only if they have worked for the employer for at least 40 hours in the five weeks ending on the day before that holiday (section 21(4)).

Citizens Information says time spent on annual leave counts as time worked when adding up the 40 hours.

A part-time worker who is not rostered on the public holiday is paid one-fifth of their weekly pay, according to Citizens Information. The WRC describes this as one-fifth of the normal weekly wage extra. Pay for public holidays is calculated under the Organisation of Working Time (Determination of Pay for Holidays) Regulations 1997 (S.I. No. 475 of 1997).

Is there a 1,300-hour rule for public holidays?

No. You may see a "1,300 hours" figure online for public holidays, but it does not appear in the law. The public holiday test is the 40 hours in five weeks described above.

The figure people may be thinking of is 1,365 hours, which belongs to annual leave, not public holidays. Under section 19 of the 1997 Act, an employee who works at least 1,365 hours in a leave year gets four working weeks of annual leave. The other annual leave methods are one-third of a working week for each month with at least 117 hours worked, or 8% of hours worked, up to four working weeks.

Absence before a public holiday

An employee who has been absent from work immediately before a public holiday loses the benefit for that holiday if the absence was longer than:

These limits are in the Third Schedule to the 1997 Act. Citizens Information says that days on sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave and similar leave on the holiday itself still count for public holiday benefit. See statutory sick pay and maternity, paternity and parent's leave for those leave rules.

Leaving a job just before a public holiday

The WRC and Citizens Information say that if your employment ends during the week ending on the day before a public holiday, and you worked for the employer for at least four weeks before that, you are paid for that public holiday. A part-time employee must also have worked at least 40 hours in the previous five weeks.

Making a complaint to the WRC

If you do not receive your public holiday benefit, raise it with your employer first. If that does not resolve it, you can make a complaint to the WRC, normally within six months, which can be extended by up to a further six months. The WRC complaint page explains how to make one.

No new public holiday for 2026 or 2027 has been made in law as at the date this page was verified. The most recent change was St Brigid's Day in 2022.

For more on workplace rights, see the Irish employment law section or the main Ireland laws page.

This page is general information about public holidays in the Republic of Ireland, not legal advice. For a dispute about public holiday pay, contact the Workplace Relations Commission or speak to a solicitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bank holidays are there in Ireland?

There are ten public holidays each year: New Year's Day, St Brigid's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, the first Monday in May, June and August, the last Monday in October, Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day. The number rose from nine to ten when St Brigid's Day was added from 2023.

When is the next bank holiday in Ireland?

It depends on today's date, so check the 2026 and 2027 table on this page. After the October bank holiday on Monday 26 October 2026 come Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 and St Stephen's Day on Saturday 26 December 2026. The 2027 public holidays start with New Year's Day on Friday 1 January, St Brigid's Day on Monday 1 February, St Patrick's Day on Wednesday 17 March and Easter Monday on 29 March.

Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland?

No. Good Friday is not one of the ten public holidays. Some businesses close or give the day off, but that comes from the employer or the contract, not from the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.

Do I get the Monday off if St Stephen's Day falls on a Saturday?

Not automatically. When a public holiday falls on a day that is not a normal working day, the law does not give anyone the next working day off. If you would not normally work that day, your employer gives you one of three benefits instead: a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day's pay. An employer can choose to give the following Monday off as that paid day.

Do I get double pay for working on a bank holiday in Ireland?

The law does not require double pay. If you work on a public holiday you are paid for the work at your normal agreed rate, and you also receive a public holiday benefit chosen by your employer, which can be an extra day's pay, a paid day off within a month or an extra day of annual leave. A contract or collective agreement can give more.

Do part-time workers get bank holidays in Ireland?

Yes, once they have worked at least 40 hours for the employer in the five weeks ending on the day before the public holiday. Citizens Information says time on annual leave counts as time worked for this. A part-time employee who is not rostered on the day is paid one-fifth of their weekly pay, according to Citizens Information.

Can my employer make me work on a bank holiday?

The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 does not give a general right either to work or not to work on a public holiday. Whether you work depends on your contract and roster. If you do work, you are paid for the hours and you also receive the public holiday benefit.

What can I do if I did not get my public holiday entitlement?

Raise it with your employer first. If it is not resolved, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission. The complaint normally has to be made within six months, which can be extended by up to a further six months.