The calendar
Ireland works to nine public holidays, most of them Mondays, with St Patrick's Day on 17 March and St Brigid's Day at the start of February as the two that move to the weekday nearest their date.
Country view
Ireland · 2026
11 recorded days · 10 public · 1 bank · 1 school · 0 regional
SponsoredYour ad here · 728 × 90
26In 40 days
Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair
Monday · 26 Oct 2026 · Public
DateHolidayTypeShops shut?
01JanLá Caille
New Year's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Fhéile Bríde
Saint Brigid's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Fhéile Pádraig
Saint Patrick's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Aoine an Chéasta
Good Friday · Nationwide
BankPartial
Luan Cásca
Easter Monday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Bealtaine
May Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh
June Holiday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa
August Holiday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair
October Holiday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Nollag
Christmas Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Lá Fhéile Stiofáin
St. Stephen's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
● Public most things closed · ● Bank banks only · ● Regional some areas · ● School term dates
How the holiday year works in Ireland
How people take the days
Monday-anchored dates mean bridging is uncommon outside Easter and Christmas. Employers must give a paid day off, an extra day of annual leave, an extra day's pay or a paid day within a month — staff usually get the choice.
If you're visiting
Pubs, shops and visitor attractions trade on public holidays; Good Friday alcohol restrictions ended in 2018, so bars now open. St Patrick's Day means parades and heavy crowds in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
If you live here
Public holidays sit on top of the statutory 20 days of annual leave, not inside it. If a holiday falls on a day you don't normally work, you are still entitled to a fifth of your weekly pay for it.
What these days actually mean
Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.
October Holiday
26 Oct 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
Christmas Day
25 Dec 2026
- Observance
- The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
- Business
- Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
- Transport
- Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.
St. Stephen's Day
26 Dec 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.