From 2023 there are 10 public holidays in Ireland. This includes the new holiday in February for St Brigid’s Day. What dates do we have off, and when’s the next one?
As of writing, the next public holiday is Monday 5th June 2023.
Irish Public Holidays 2023
In 2023 the dates are:
| Date | Holiday |
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 6 February | St Brigid’s Day |
| 17 March | Saint Patrick’s Day |
| 10 April | Easter Monday |
| 1 May | May Bank Holiday |
| 5 June | June Bank Holiday |
| 7 August | August Bank Holiday |
| 30 October | October Bank Holiday |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Saint Stephen’s Day |
Irish Public Holidays 2024
In 2024 the dates are:
| Date | Holiday |
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 5 February | St Brigid’s Day |
| 17 March | Saint Patrick’s Day |
| 1 April | Easter Monday |
| 6 May | May Bank Holiday |
| 3 June | June Bank Holiday |
| 5 August | August Bank Holiday |
| 28 October | October Bank Holiday |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Saint Stephen’s Day |
What’s the difference between a public holiday and a bank holiday?
Although in Ireland people often use the term “bank holiday” to refer to “public holidays”, they are not the same. A ‘Bank Holiday’ is a day when banks remain closed. Not all Bank Holidays are Public Holidays. The most famous example of a bank holiday which is not a public holiday is Good Friday (more on that below).
- A public holiday is a day designated by the government as a day off for all full time employees (who’ve worked 40 hours in the previous five weeks).
- A bank holiday specifically refers to the days when banks are closed and does not necessarily coincide with a public holiday.
You can read more specific information about eligibility for public holidays for both permanent and part time employees on citizens information here.
Is Good Friday a public holiday?
On Good Friday, banks are closed and public sector employees get the day off. Schools are closed for the Easter break.
Often private sector employees have the day off too, if it’s written into their contracts. Unfortunately in general private sector employees not working in banks are not entitled to the day off.
How are the dates of holidays set?
In general if a ‘floating holiday’ falls on a weekend, it rolls over to the start of the next week. The 10 holidays are set as:
| Holiday | Date Decided |
| New Year’s Day | 1st January, rolls over to Monday if over weekend. |
| St Brigid’s Day | First Monday in February, or 1st February if the date falls on a Friday |
| Saint Patrick’s Day | 17th March, rolls over to Monday if over weekend. |
| Easter Monday | Easter Monday |
| May Bank Holiday | First Monday in May |
| June Bank Holiday | First Monday in June |
| August Bank Holiday | First Monday in August |
| October Bank Holiday | Last Monday in October |
| Christmas Day | 25th December, rolls over to Monday/Tuesday if over weekend. |
| Saint Stephen’s Day | 26th December, rolls over to Monday/Tuesday if over weekend. |
How to Maximise your holiday time.
This guide by Brittany Ferries shows you how you can turn 19 days of annual leave into chunks totaling 47 days off. It works by looking where the public holidays fall on the calendar and booking annual leave off on the other days of the week.
