For Irish families
Irish bank holidays 2026 and 2027
Ireland has 10 public holidays a year (most people call them bank holidays). Here are the dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028, with the day of the week for each.
The next bank holiday is October Bank Holiday on Monday 26 October 2026, in 27 days.
Bank holidays in Ireland 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday |
| St Brigid’s Day | 2 February 2026 | Monday |
| St Patrick’s Day | 17 March 2026 | Tuesday |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday |
| May Bank Holiday | 4 May 2026 | Monday |
| June Bank Holiday | 1 June 2026 | Monday |
| August Bank Holiday | 3 August 2026 | Monday |
| October Bank Holiday | 26 October 2026 | Monday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday |
| St Stephen’s Day | 26 December 2026 | Saturday weekend |
Bank holidays in Ireland 2027
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2027 | Friday |
| St Brigid’s Day | 1 February 2027 | Monday |
| St Patrick’s Day | 17 March 2027 | Wednesday |
| Easter Monday | 29 March 2027 | Monday |
| May Bank Holiday | 3 May 2027 | Monday |
| June Bank Holiday | 7 June 2027 | Monday |
| August Bank Holiday | 2 August 2027 | Monday |
| October Bank Holiday | 25 October 2027 | Monday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2027 | Saturday weekend |
| St Stephen’s Day | 26 December 2027 | Sunday weekend |
Bank holidays in Ireland 2028
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2028 | Saturday weekend |
| St Brigid’s Day | 7 February 2028 | Monday |
| St Patrick’s Day | 17 March 2028 | Friday |
| Easter Monday | 17 April 2028 | Monday |
| May Bank Holiday | 1 May 2028 | Monday |
| June Bank Holiday | 5 June 2028 | Monday |
| August Bank Holiday | 7 August 2028 | Monday |
| October Bank Holiday | 30 October 2028 | Monday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2028 | Monday |
| St Stephen’s Day | 26 December 2028 | Tuesday |
Ireland’s 10 public holidays, explained
- New Year’s Day
- Always 1 January.
- St Brigid’s Day
- Ireland’s newest public holiday, first held in 2023. It’s the first Monday in February, unless 1 February is a Friday, when the holiday is that Friday. It honours St Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron saints, and the old festival of Imbolc at the start of spring.
- St Patrick’s Day
- Always 17 March, Ireland’s national holiday, wherever in the week it falls.
- Easter Monday
- The day after Easter Sunday, so it moves each year, anywhere from late March to late April. (Good Friday is not a public holiday, although some businesses close.)
- May Bank Holiday
- The first Monday in May.
- June Bank Holiday
- The first Monday in June.
- August Bank Holiday
- The first Monday in August.
- October Bank Holiday
- The last Monday in October, which often lines up with the school mid-term break.
- Christmas Day
- Always 25 December.
- St Stephen’s Day
- Always 26 December.
When a bank holiday falls at the weekend
Irish law doesn’t move a public holiday that lands on a Saturday or Sunday; St Stephen’s Day on a Saturday is still St Stephen’s Day. Plenty of employers give the next working day off, but it isn’t automatic. If you work, you’re usually entitled to one of these for each public holiday: a paid day off on the day, a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day’s pay. Your employer decides which. Citizens Information has the full rules.
Every bank holiday, already in your family calendar
Bopstars is a free family calendar and star chart made in Ireland. Every Irish bank holiday is already marked on the calendar, so you can see the long weekends coming, alongside training, matches, dancing and the rest of the family’s week. You can also see it all in Outlook, Google Calendar or on your iPhone.
Questions people ask
How many public holidays are there in Ireland?
There are 10 public holidays in Ireland each year: New Year’s Day, St Brigid’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter Monday, the May, June, August and October bank holidays, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland?
No. Good Friday is not a public holiday in Ireland, although some businesses and services close or keep shorter hours.
What happens if a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
Irish law doesn’t move a public holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday to another day. Many employers give the next working day off instead, but it isn’t automatic.
When is St Brigid’s Day bank holiday?
St Brigid’s Day is the first Monday in February, unless 1 February falls on a Friday, when the holiday is on 1 February itself.
What is a worker entitled to on a public holiday?
Under Irish employment law, a worker who qualifies gets one of these for each public holiday: a paid day off on the day, a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day’s pay. The employer decides which. Citizens Information has the full details.
Dates are worked out from the rules set in Irish law (the Organisation of Working Time Act, including St Brigid’s Day from 2023). If the Government ever adds a one-off holiday, it will appear here once we update the site.