Irish Public Holidays 2026: Republic and Northern Ireland Dates

If you’re planning time off or scheduling work across the island of Ireland, knowing exactly which days the two jurisdictions treat differently could save you a real headache. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland share some holidays — but their calendars diverge in ways that matter for anyone juggling both sides of the border.

Republic of Ireland Total: 10 ·
St. Brigid’s Day: 2 February 2026 (Monday) ·
St. Patrick’s Day: 17 March 2026 (Tuesday) ·
Easter Monday: 6 April 2026 (Monday)

Ten public holidays dot the Republic of Ireland’s 2026 calendar — a figure confirmed across multiple commercial and institutional sources (Eskimo eSIM (travel guide), Hogan’s Irish Cottages (holiday specialist)). Northern Ireland also observes 10 public holidays under UK-aligned rules administered by the Northern Ireland Executive (NIDirect (Northern Ireland Government)).

Irish public holidays 2026 dates

The Republic of Ireland’s 10 statutory public holidays run from New Year’s Day on 1 January 2026 (Thursday) through to the substitute St. Stephen’s Day on 28 December 2026. Tourism Ireland (official tourism authority) maintains the authoritative calendar for Republic holidays.

New Year’s Day

The year opens with New Year’s Day on Thursday, 1 January 2026. New Year’s Day was added to Ireland’s public holidays statute in 1974 — one of the later additions to the calendar (Wikipedia (statute history)). There is no substitute complication: 1 January falls midweek.

St. Brigid’s Day

2 February 2026 falls on a Monday, making it a straightforward public holiday for the Republic. This is a relatively recent addition: St. Brigid’s Day became a permanent statutory public holiday in February 2023, making it the first new public holiday in Ireland in decades (Money Guide Ireland (finance guide)). Northern Ireland does not observe St. Brigid’s Day — an important distinction for anyone working across the border.

St. Patrick’s Day

17 March 2026 falls on a Tuesday, making it a standard midweek holiday with no substitute required. St. Patrick’s Day is the national day of both the Republic and Northern Ireland — the only shared fixed-date public holiday across both jurisdictions. It became an official public holiday in 1903, one of the earliest statutory holidays in Irish law (Wikipedia (1903 legislation)).

Easter Monday

6 April 2026 is Easter Monday, a moveable holiday that follows the Christian liturgical calendar. This date places Easter Monday within the same week as the 1916 Easter Rising commemorations, though Eskimo eSIM (travel guide) notes this as a historical coincidence rather than a factor in the holiday’s establishment. Easter Monday can fall as early as 23 March or as late as 26 April in different years (Wikipedia (moveable date range)).

Both regions observe Easter Monday, though Tourism Ireland (official tourism authority) notes that some pubs and shops may operate restricted hours on this date in the Republic.

Irish public holidays 2026 northern ireland

The divergence between the two Irish jurisdictions becomes most apparent when comparing Northern Ireland’s calendar against the Republic’s. Hogan’s Irish Cottages (holiday specialist) provides a useful side-by-side comparison of the two schedules.

Republic vs Northern Ireland differences

Northern Ireland observes 10 public holidays but they are not identical to the Republic’s 10. The most significant differences:

• Good Friday (3 April 2026) is a public holiday in Northern Ireland only — Tourism Ireland (official tourism authority) confirms it is not an official public holiday in the Republic, though many businesses close voluntarily.
• The Spring Bank Holiday falls on 25 May 2026 in Northern Ireland — three weeks after the Republic’s May Day on 4 May 2026 (Hogan’s Irish Cottages (holiday specialist)).
• Northern Ireland’s August Bank Holiday is 31 August 2026 — nearly a full month later than the Republic’s 3 August date (Tourism Ireland (official tourism authority)).
• The Republic has an October Bank Holiday on 26 October that does not exist in Northern Ireland (Tourism Ireland (official tourism authority)).

Orangemen’s Day

The Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) on 12 July 2026 falls on a Sunday — meaning the official public holiday substitute falls on Monday, 13 July 2026. NI Business Info (official NI government) confirms this substitute arrangement. This is a Northern Ireland-only holiday with no equivalent in the Republic.

When the usual date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the ‘substitute day’ is normally the following Monday.

— NIDirect (Northern Ireland Government)

The pattern is clear: Northern Ireland’s holiday calendar aligns more closely with UK practice, while the Republic has developed its own distinct schedule — most notably with St. Brigid’s Day and the October Bank Holiday. For cross-border workers or businesses operating on both sides of the border, this creates real scheduling complexity.

February Bank Holiday 2026 Ireland

The February public holiday in 2026 falls on Monday, 2 February — St. Brigid’s Day. This is a Republic-only holiday that Money Guide Ireland (finance guide) explains follows specific rules: if 1 February falls on a Friday, the holiday is that day; otherwise it defaults to the first Monday in February.

The rule is moot in 2026 since 2 February is already a Monday. This creates a straightforward, unmoved public holiday — one of the cleaner dates on the Republic’s calendar for scheduling purposes.

St. Brigid’s Day details

• Established as a permanent public holiday from February 2023 (Money Guide Ireland (finance guide))
• First observed 2023-02-06 (first Monday of that month)
• Northern Ireland has no equivalent date in February

Bank holidays Ireland 2027

While the focus is on 2026, forward-planning employers and workers will want to note the 2027 schedule. Several 2027 dates are calculable from the statutory rules.

Preview key dates

• New Year’s Day: 1 January 2027 (Friday) — standard Friday holiday
• St. Brigid’s Day: 1 February 2027 (Monday) — note: 1 February is itself a Monday, triggering the “if 1 February is Friday” rule, but it falls on Monday, so the holiday is 1 February itself
• St. Patrick’s Day: 17 March 2027 (Tuesday) — standard Tuesday, no substitute
• Easter Monday: 5 April 2027 (Monday) — confirmed moveable
• May Day: 3 May 2027 (Monday) — first Monday of May
• June Bank Holiday: 7 June 2027 (Monday) — first Monday of June
• August Bank Holiday: 2 August 2027 (Monday) — first Monday of August
• October Bank Holiday: 25 October 2027 (Monday) — last Monday of October
• Christmas Day: 25 December 2027 (Saturday) — substitute likely Monday 27 December or Tuesday 28 December (to be confirmed by official sources in late 2026)

Christmas Day in 2027 falls on a Saturday, which means substitute arrangements will apply in both jurisdictions. NI Business Info (official NI government) will publish the official 2027 Northern Ireland substitute dates closer to the year — expect confirmation in late 2026.

Bank holiday pay Ireland part-time workers

Holiday pay entitlements apply to all employees in the Republic, including part-time workers. The entitlements are governed by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and enforced by the Workplace Relations Commission (Workplace Relations (Republic enforcement body)).

Entitlements overview

Part-time workers receive public holiday benefits on a pro-rata basis. Money Guide Ireland (finance guide) explains the core principle: if an employee would normally work on the day of a public holiday, they are entitled to receive that day as a public holiday (paid).

• Pro-rata calculation: Benefits are scaled based on hours worked relative to full-time equivalent
• Averaging period: Holiday pay is typically calculated over the 13-week period preceding the public holiday
• Contractual terms: Individual employment contracts may provide enhanced terms but cannot reduce statutory minimums

A Bank Holiday is a day on which the banks are closed. BUT – not all bank holidays are Public Holidays.

— Money Guide Ireland (finance guide)

The practical implication: part-time workers should verify with their employer how public holiday entitlements are calculated for their specific working pattern. The Workplace Relations Commission provides free advisory services for employment rights queries.

For anyone working across both jurisdictions — whether as an employer, HR professional, or cross-border commuter — the practical takeaway is direct: the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland share only certain public holidays. The divergences (St. Brigid’s Day, Good Friday, Orangemen’s Day, October Bank Holiday) create scheduling gaps that require explicit planning. Treat each region’s official government source (Citizens Information for the Republic, NIDirect for Northern Ireland) as authoritative for your jurisdiction.

Related reading: Ireland clocks change dates · Ireland World Cup 2026

Ireland’s 2026 public holidays include the May Day break on May 4, as explored in the 2026 Ireland bank holiday guide which notes ten total days for workers.

Frequently asked questions