Leave HackerJoin the betaBank holidays 2026 in Ireland
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2026, the days most people call bank holidays, and one falls at the weekend. The best value is New Year's Day: book 1 day and get 4 days off in a row. For a proper break, Christmas is the one: book 4 days, get 10 off.
All 10 public holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| 2 February | Monday | St Brigid's Day |
| 17 March | Tuesday | St Patrick's Day |
| 6 April | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 4 May | Monday | May Bank Holiday |
| 1 June | Monday | June Bank Holiday |
| 3 August | Monday | August Bank Holiday |
| 26 October | Monday | October Bank Holiday |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Saturday | St Stephen's Day |
St Stephen's Day (Saturday 26 December) falls at the weekend. In Ireland the holiday stays on that day: you don't automatically get the next working day off. Instead your employer chooses one of a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave or an extra day's pay. Many give the next working day off anyway, as the civil service and banks do: Monday 28 December. The days to book below don't count on it. If you get that day, turn on “I get the next working day off” in Leave Hacker and your plan will. Citizens Information explains the rules.
Good Friday isn't a public holiday in Ireland, so it's a normal working day unless your employer gives it.
The days to book around each public holiday
Each break below runs from the first day off to the last, weekends included. Only days of leave that buy at least two days off each are listed.
New Year's Day: book 1 day, get 4 off
New Year's Day on Thursday 1 January.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 2 Jan | 1 to 4 Jan |
| 2 | 5 | Fri 2 Jan and Mon 5 Jan | 1 to 5 Jan |
| 3 | 6 | Fri 2 Jan and Mon 5 to Tue 6 Jan | 1 to 6 Jan |
St Brigid's Day: book 1 day, get 4 off
St Brigid's Day on Monday 2 February.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 30 Jan | 30 Jan to 2 Feb |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 29 to Fri 30 Jan | 29 Jan to 2 Feb |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 28 to Fri 30 Jan | 28 Jan to 2 Feb |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 3 to Fri 6 Feb | 31 Jan to 8 Feb |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Jan | 24 Jan to 2 Feb |
St Patrick's Day: book 1 day, get 4 off
St Patrick's Day on Tuesday 17 March.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Mon 16 Mar | 14 to 17 Mar |
| 2 | 5 | Fri 13 Mar and Mon 16 Mar | 13 to 17 Mar |
| 3 | 6 | Thu 12 to Fri 13 Mar and Mon 16 Mar | 12 to 17 Mar |
| 4 | 9 | Mon 16 Mar and Wed 18 to Fri 20 Mar | 14 to 22 Mar |
| 5 | 10 | Fri 13 Mar, Mon 16 Mar and Wed 18 to Fri 20 Mar | 13 to 22 Mar |
Easter: book 1 day, get 4 off
Easter Monday on Monday 6 April.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 3 Apr | 3 to 6 Apr |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 2 to Fri 3 Apr | 2 to 6 Apr |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 1 to Fri 3 Apr | 1 to 6 Apr |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 7 to Fri 10 Apr | 4 to 12 Apr |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 30 Mar to Fri 3 Apr | 28 Mar to 6 Apr |
May Bank Holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
May Bank Holiday on Monday 4 May.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 1 May | 1 to 4 May |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 30 Apr to Fri 1 May | 30 Apr to 4 May |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 29 Apr to Fri 1 May | 29 Apr to 4 May |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 5 to Fri 8 May | 2 to 10 May |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 27 Apr to Fri 1 May | 25 Apr to 4 May |
June Bank Holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
June Bank Holiday on Monday 1 June.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 29 May | 29 May to 1 Jun |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 28 to Fri 29 May | 28 May to 1 Jun |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 27 to Fri 29 May | 27 May to 1 Jun |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 2 to Fri 5 Jun | 30 May to 7 Jun |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 25 to Fri 29 May | 23 May to 1 Jun |
August Bank Holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
August Bank Holiday on Monday 3 August.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 31 Jul | 31 Jul to 3 Aug |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 30 to Fri 31 Jul | 30 Jul to 3 Aug |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 29 to Fri 31 Jul | 29 Jul to 3 Aug |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 4 to Fri 7 Aug | 1 to 9 Aug |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 27 to Fri 31 Jul | 25 Jul to 3 Aug |
October Bank Holiday: book 1 day, get 4 off
October Bank Holiday on Monday 26 October.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fri 23 Oct | 23 to 26 Oct |
| 2 | 5 | Thu 22 to Fri 23 Oct | 22 to 26 Oct |
| 3 | 6 | Wed 21 to Fri 23 Oct | 21 to 26 Oct |
| 4 | 9 | Tue 27 to Fri 30 Oct | 24 Oct to 1 Nov |
| 5 | 10 | Mon 19 to Fri 23 Oct | 17 to 26 Oct |
Christmas: book 1 day, get 4 off
Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and St Stephen's Day on Saturday 26 December.
Book 1 day, get 4 off
| Days of leave | Days off | Days to book | Off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Thu 24 Dec | 24 to 27 Dec |
| 2 | 5 | Wed 23 to Thu 24 Dec | 23 to 27 Dec |
| 3 | 6 | Tue 22 to Thu 24 Dec | 22 to 27 Dec |
| 4 | 10 | Mon 28 to Thu 31 Dec | 25 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 5 | 11 | Thu 24 Dec and Mon 28 to Thu 31 Dec | 24 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 6 | 12 | Wed 23 to Thu 24 Dec and Mon 28 to Thu 31 Dec | 23 Dec to 3 Jan |
| 8 | 16 | Mon 21 to Thu 24 Dec and Mon 28 to Thu 31 Dec | 19 Dec to 3 Jan |
Your whole 2026 with 20 days' leave
Planned around the public holidays, 20 days of annual leave make 56 days off across 11 breaks in 2026:
- Thu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan: 4 days off for 1 day
- Fri 30 Jan to Mon 2 Feb: 4 days off for 1 day
- Thu 19 Feb to Sun 22 Feb: 4 days off for 2 days
- Sat 14 Mar to Tue 17 Mar: 4 days off for 1 day
- Sat 4 Apr to Sun 12 Apr: 9 days off for 4 days
- Fri 1 May to Mon 4 May: 4 days off for 1 day
- Fri 29 May to Mon 1 Jun: 4 days off for 1 day
- Thu 18 Jun to Sun 21 Jun: 4 days off for 2 days
- Fri 31 Jul to Mon 3 Aug: 4 days off for 1 day
- Fri 23 Oct to Mon 26 Oct: 4 days off for 1 day
- Thu 24 Dec to Sun 3 Jan: 11 days off for 5 days
Questions
How many bank holidays are there in Ireland in 2026?
10 public holidays: New Year's Day (Thu 1 Jan), St Brigid's Day (Mon 2 Feb), St Patrick's Day (Tue 17 Mar), Easter Monday (Mon 6 Apr), May Bank Holiday (Mon 4 May), June Bank Holiday (Mon 1 Jun), August Bank Holiday (Mon 3 Aug), October Bank Holiday (Mon 26 Oct), Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec) and St Stephen's Day (Sat 26 Dec).
When is St Brigid's Day bank holiday 2026?
Monday 2 February 2026. It's the first Monday in February, or 1 February itself when that's a Friday.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland in 2026?
No. Good Friday isn't a public holiday in Ireland, though some schools and businesses close. Easter Monday, Monday 6 April, is.
What happens when a public holiday falls at a weekend in Ireland?
There's no automatic right to the next working day off. You still get a benefit for the holiday: your employer chooses a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave or an extra day's pay. Many give the next working day off, as the civil service and banks do; if yours does, Leave Hacker can plan with those days (“I get the next working day off”). Citizens Information.
How do I get the most days off in 2026?
Book the working days between a public holiday and a weekend. The best value is New Year's Day: book Fri 2 Jan for 4 days off. The best long break is Christmas: book 4 days (Mon 28 to Thu 31 Dec) for 10 days off.
Where the dates come from
Every date was checked by hand against these official pages on 26 October 2026. Holidays are never worked out from rules here.
- Citizens Information: Public holidays
- Workplace Relations Commission: Public Holidays
- Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (revised, Law Reform Commission)
- Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, Second Schedule (Irish Statute Book)
- S.I. No. 50/2022, Organisation of Working Time (Covid-19 Commemoration) Regulations 2022 (St Brigid's Day)
- Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Public and Bank Holiday List 2026