Ireland has ten public holidays a year, most of them on a Monday, and each one arrived for a different reason: Victorian bankers, a determined MP, a 1970s government and, most recently, a saint who had been waiting about 1,500 years for her day. Here’s how many there are, why they fall when they do and where they came from.
How many bank holidays are there in Ireland?
There are ten public holidays in the Republic of Ireland:
| Public holiday | When it falls | Since |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | 1974 |
| St Brigid’s Day | First Monday in February, or 1 February if that’s a Friday | 2023 |
| St Patrick’s Day | 17 March | 1903 |
| Easter Monday | The day after Easter Sunday | 1871 |
| May bank holiday | First Monday in May | 1994 |
| June bank holiday | First Monday in June | 1973 |
| August bank holiday | First Monday in August | 1871 |
| October bank holiday | Last Monday in October | 1977 |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | 1939 as a public holiday |
| St Stephen’s Day | 26 December | 1871 |
For this year’s and next year’s exact dates, with a countdown, see every Irish bank holiday.
Bank holiday or public holiday?
Everyone says “bank holiday”, but strictly speaking the ten days above are public holidays: days the law gives most employees a paid day off (or an alternative). A bank holiday is a day the banks close. The two overlap almost completely, which is why nobody bothers with the difference, apart from on Good Friday.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday?
Sort of. Banks close and so do schools, so it behaves like a bank holiday. But it is not a public holiday, so you have no legal right to the day off, and most people who don’t work in a bank need a day of leave. It’s the single most argued-about day in Irish offices. You’re welcome.
Where they came from
1871: the bankers’ holidays
The idea started with the Bank Holidays Act 1871, passed when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. It gave banks set days to close: Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first Monday in August and St Stephen’s Day. Three of the four were Mondays, which turned them into long weekends, and the rest of the country happily followed the banks’ lead.
1903: St Patrick’s Day
St Patrick’s Day became a bank holiday through the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, a short law introduced by MP James O’Mara. It’s one of the few holidays shared by the whole island, as Northern Ireland has it too.
1939 to 1977: the modern set
The Holidays (Employees) Act 1939 turned bank holidays into public holidays for workers, and Christmas Day joined the list. In 1973 Whit Monday was replaced by the June bank holiday, which at least has the decency to stay in the same month. New Year’s Day followed in 1974, and the October bank holiday arrived in 1977, giving autumn its only long weekend.
1994 and 2023: May and St Brigid’s Day
The May bank holiday was first observed in 1994. Then, after a long wait, Ireland got its first public holiday named after a woman: St Brigid’s Day, first held in February 2023. It has its own rule: it’s the first Monday in February, unless 1 February is a Friday, in which case that Friday is the holiday. Either way, it’s a long weekend.
Why are most of them on a Monday?
Because a holiday on a Monday makes a long weekend every time, and a long weekend is far more useful than a random Wednesday off. Six of the ten are tied to a Monday (St Brigid’s Day occasionally moves to a Friday, which works just as well). The four that keep their dates, New Year’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day, move around the week, which is where a bit of annual leave planning pays off.
How to make the most of them
Ten public holidays sounds like plenty until you notice that half of them land between February and June, and two arrive at Christmas when you’d probably be off anyway. The trick is to use them as anchors for your annual leave. A bank holiday Monday plus four days of leave is nine days off; a mid-week holiday with a day either side becomes a five-day break. Our annual leave planner works out the best combinations for any year, and it’s very satisfying watching the numbers go up.
What happens when one falls on a weekend?
You don’t automatically get the Monday. If a public holiday falls on a day you’d normally be off, your employer chooses one of: a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day’s pay. Plenty of employers simply give the next working day off, but it’s worth checking. Our guide to your bank holiday rights has the details, including the rules for part-time workers.
Northern Ireland is different
Northern Ireland follows the UK pattern, with its own set of holidays. It shares New Year’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter Monday, the early May bank holiday, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day) with the Republic. But it has no June or October holiday, its summer holiday is at the end of August rather than the start, and it has days the Republic doesn’t: Good Friday, a late May bank holiday and 12 July. Worth knowing if you’re planning a trip north, or if your colleagues in Belfast seem to be off on random days.
Frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays does Ireland have?
Ten public holidays a year, since St Brigid’s Day was added in 2023.
What is the newest bank holiday in Ireland?
St Brigid’s Day, first observed in February 2023. It’s the first Monday in February, or 1 February if that falls on a Friday.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland?
No. Banks and schools close, but it isn’t a public holiday, so there’s no legal right to the day off.
Why is it called a bank holiday?
Because the first ones, in 1871, were days when the banks closed. The name stuck even though the law now calls them public holidays.
Plan your year: Every bank holiday date Annual leave planner School holidays
