Bank Holidays Ireland 2027: Dates and Your Pay Rights

Last updated: 7 November 2026 | Information verified: 7 November 2026 against Citizens Information (public holidays in Ireland).

The bank holidays Ireland workers get in 2027 are 10 public holidays, and six of them fall on a Monday. Only two are left in 2026: Friday 25 December and Saturday 26 December. This guide gives you every date, plus what you are entitled to when a public holiday comes round, which is more than a day off for many people.

If you are new to Ireland, or planning to come, the rules can be confusing. You may get a paid day off, an extra day of annual leave, an extra day’s pay, or a paid day off within a month. Part-time workers have to pass a 40-hour test. Everything below comes from Citizens Information.

Key Facts at a Glance

Bank Holidays Ireland 2027: All 10 Dates

Six of the ten holidays are Mondays, so you get long weekends in February, March, May, June, August and October. New Year’s Day is a Friday, which makes a long weekend too. Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day both fall on a weekend in 2027, so check with your employer early about how your benefit will be given for those two. Working over Christmas? Our Christmas jobs in Ireland guide explains what extra pay you are owed.

Public Holidays Left in 2026

St Brigid’s Day and Good Friday

Since 2023, St Brigid’s Day has been a public holiday on the first Monday in February. The only exception is a year when 1 February falls on a Friday: then the holiday is that Friday. In 2027, 1 February is a Monday, so the holiday is Monday 1 February.

Good Friday is not a public holiday, even though many schools and some businesses close. You have no automatic right to the day off. In 2027 Good Friday is 26 March, and the public holiday is Easter Monday on 29 March.

What You Are Entitled To on a Public Holiday

A public holiday does not always mean a day off on the day itself. Your benefit is one of these four options:

1. A paid day off on the public holiday.
2. An additional day of annual leave.
3. An additional day’s pay.
4. A paid day off within a month of the public holiday.

You ask your employer which option applies at least 21 days before the holiday. If your employer has not replied at least 14 days before, you are entitled to take the actual public holiday as a paid day off. Put your request in writing so you have a record.

If You Work on a Public Holiday

If you work on a day you normally work, Citizens Information says you are paid for the day and you get an extra day’s pay. A part-time worker who does not normally work on that day gets one-fifth of their weekly pay.

To see what that means, take the minimum wage. Our minimum wage guide covers the rates: €14.15 an hour in 2026, and €14.94 an hour announced from 1 January 2027. The table below is our own arithmetic on gross pay, not an official figure.

Use our salary calculator to see what you take home after tax, USC and PRSI.

Part-Time Workers: The 40-Hour Rule

Full-time workers are entitled to public holiday benefit straight away. Part-time workers are entitled only if they worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday. Annual leave counts as time worked for this test.

Count your hours from payslips or your rota before you speak to your employer.

Public Holidays During Sick Leave, Other Leave or Lay-Off

• Sick leave: a full-time worker on sick leave on a public holiday is entitled to the benefit. Your employer may instead treat the day as not sick leave and pay you normally. You get no entitlement if you were on sick leave immediately before the holiday and have been off for more than 26 weeks (ordinary illness or accident) or more than 52 weeks (occupational accident).
• Maternity, adoptive, paternity, parent’s, parental and domestic violence leave: your entitlement continues for public holidays during these leaves.
• Carer’s leave: the entitlement stops after the first 13 weeks.
• Lay-off or short-time work: you get the benefit for public holidays in the first 13 weeks. Part-timers still need the 40-hour test.

If Your Job Ends Just Before a Public Holiday

If your employment ends in the week ending the day before a public holiday, and you worked for that employer for the previous 4 weeks, you get an additional day’s pay for that holiday. Part-timers need 40 hours in the previous 5 weeks.

What to Do If You Do Not Get Your Public Holiday Benefit

1. Talk to your employer first and ask in writing which of the four options applies.
2. If that does not solve it, make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) online under the Organisation of Working Time Act.
3. Make the complaint within 6 months of the problem. The WRC can allow a further 6 months if there was reasonable cause for the delay.

The Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm) can explain your options.

Public Holidays for Workers From Abroad

Many people moving to Ireland, including from Pakistan, the Philippines, India and the US, keep days that are not Irish public holidays. Eid, Diwali and Philippine national holidays are not on the official Irish list. If you want those days off, ask for annual leave as early as you can, and ask what your employer’s rules are for booking leave around Christmas.

If you work shifts, for example in hotels, care or retail, you may be rostered on public holidays. That is when the four options above matter most. See our guides to hotel jobs in Ireland and the highest-paying jobs in Ireland, and plan your budget with the cost of living guide.

Related: Expecting a baby while working in Ireland? Read our guide to maternity leave in Ireland: weeks, pay and how to apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays are there in Ireland in 2027?

There are 10 public holidays in 2027: 1 January, 1 February (St Brigid’s Day), 17 March, 29 March (Easter Monday), 3 May, 7 June, 2 August, 25 October, 25 December and 26 December. Six of them fall on a Monday.

Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland?

No. Good Friday is not a public holiday. Some schools and businesses close, but you have no automatic right to the day off. In 2027 Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday, 29 March, is the public holiday.

When is St Brigid’s Day in 2027?

St Brigid’s Day is the first Monday in February, unless 1 February falls on a Friday, in which case the holiday is that Friday. In 2027 it is Monday 1 February.

What happens if a public holiday falls on a weekend?

The benefit still applies, but you have no automatic right to the next working day off. In 2027, 25 December is a Saturday and 26 December is a Sunday, so ask your employer early which of the four options will apply to you.

Do part-time workers get public holiday benefit?

Yes, if you worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday. Annual leave counts as time worked for this test. Full-time workers qualify straight away.

Do I get paid extra if I work on a public holiday?

Citizens Information says that if you work on a day you normally work, you are paid for the day and you get an extra day’s pay. A part-time worker who does not normally work that day gets one-fifth of their weekly pay.

Is Eid or Diwali a public holiday in Ireland?

No. They are not on the official list of Irish public holidays. If you want the day off, ask your employer for annual leave as early as you can.

How long do I have to complain if I am not given my public holiday benefit?

First talk to your employer. If that does not solve it, you can complain to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) within 6 months of the problem. The WRC can extend this by a further 6 months if there was reasonable cause for the delay.

Related Guides

• Minimum Wage Ireland 2026 and 2027
• Salary Calculator Ireland
• Cost of Living in Ireland
• How to Get a PPS Number in Ireland
• Hotel Jobs in Ireland for Foreigners
• Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Ireland

Official Sources

• Citizens Information: Public holidays in Ireland
• Workplace Relations Commission

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Dates and rules were checked on 7 November 2026. Check Citizens Information or the WRC for your own situation.