Bank Holidays in Ireland 2026: Complete List & Dates

Few things brighten the work calendar quite like a bank holiday. For anyone planning their year in Ireland, the 2026 schedule brings 10 public holidays with six of them landing on Mondays — a tidy pattern for long weekends. New Year’s Day kicks off the year on a Thursday, while St. Brigid’s Day on 2 February offers the first Monday break. Here’s the full list and what it means for your plans.

Total bank holidays in Ireland 2026: 10 ·
Long weekends in 2026: 6 ·
New bank holiday in 2026: No ·
Monday bank holidays: 6 ·
St. Brigid’s Day 2026 date: 2 February

Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2026, exactly the same slate as 2025. The pattern: six fall on a Monday, creating automatic long weekends for most workers. Here’s the table with every date and its day of the week.

What are bank holidays in Ireland?

Bank holidays in Ireland are public holidays established by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 and subsequent amendments. They are days when most businesses, banks, and schools close, and workers are entitled to paid time off or additional pay if working (Citizens Information (Irish government service)). The Republic of Ireland observes 10 such holidays per year.

List of bank holidays in Ireland 2026

• New Year’s Day — Thursday 1 January 2026 (PublicHolidays.ie)
• St. Brigid’s Day — Monday 2 February 2026 (Ireland.com (national tourism authority))
• St. Patrick’s Day — Tuesday 17 March 2026 (PublicHolidays.ie)
• Easter Monday — Monday 6 April 2026 (PublicHolidays.ie)
• May Day — Monday 4 May 2026 (Ireland.com)
• June Bank Holiday — Monday 1 June 2026 (Ireland.com)
• August Bank Holiday — Monday 3 August 2026 (Ireland.com)
• October Bank Holiday — Monday 26 October 2026 (Ireland.com)
• Christmas Day — Friday 25 December 2026 (PublicHolidays.ie)
• St. Stephen’s Day — Saturday 26 December 2026 (observed Monday 28 December) (Danske Bank Ireland (financial services))

The pattern: six of the 10 land on a Monday, which means an automatic long weekend without using annual leave. St. Patrick’s Day (Tuesday) and New Year’s Day (Thursday) break the pattern but can be extended with one or two days off.

Is there an extra bank holiday in 2026?

No new or extra bank holiday has been added for 2026. The last addition was St. Brigid’s Day (first observed in 2023), which brought the annual count to 10. No official announcement from the Irish government has extended the list for 2026 (Citizens Information).

New bank holiday Ireland 2026

Speculation about a new holiday in 2026 — perhaps a permanent February break or a once-off celebration — has not materialised. The 2026 calendar remains identical to 2025 in both count and distribution (Group Accommodation (travel resource)).

Extra bank holiday Ireland 2026

Some online sources have suggested a potential extra day for 2026, but no legislative action supports it. For now, the 10 holidays are locked. Workers planning ahead should rely on the confirmed list (Ireland.com).

How many bank holidays are in Ireland in 2026?

The answer is exactly 10 — neither more nor less than the previous year. They are distributed across the calendar with two in December, one in each of January, February, March, April, May, June, August, and October.

Total count of bank holidays in Ireland 2026

10 holidays, confirmed by both Citizens Information and the Irish tourism authority. No extra day has been added, no holiday removed.

Breakdown by month

• January: 1 (Thu)
• February: 1 (Mon)
• March: 1 (Tue)
• April: 1 (Mon)
• May: 1 (Mon)
• June: 1 (Mon)
• August: 1 (Mon)
• October: 1 (Mon)
• December: 2 (Fri & Sat/Sun observed Mon)

The pattern: every month from April through October except July features a Monday holiday, giving a steady rhythm of long weekends through spring and summer. July has no bank holiday — 13 July 2026 is a regular Tuesday (PublicHolidays.ie).

Which are the long weekends in 2026?

Six bank holidays fall on a Monday, each creating a three-day weekend without using annual leave. Additionally, the Tuesday St. Patrick’s Day and Thursday New Year’s Day can be extended with strategic leave.

Long weekends in Ireland 2026

• St. Brigid’s Day (Mon 2 Feb) — 3-day weekend
• Easter Monday (Mon 6 Apr) — 3-day weekend
• May Day (Mon 4 May) — 3-day weekend
• June Bank Holiday (Mon 1 Jun) — 3-day weekend
• August Bank Holiday (Mon 3 Aug) — 3-day weekend
• October Bank Holiday (Mon 26 Oct) — 3-day weekend

Monday bank holidays creating long weekends

All six Monday holidays fall on the first Monday of their respective months except Easter Monday (which follows the Paschal calendar). The consistency means workers can pencil in these weekends without checking a calendar (Ireland.com).

The implication: if you combine a Monday holiday with the preceding Friday off, you get a four-day weekend. For St. Patrick’s Day (Tuesday), taking Monday off creates another extended break.

How to maximize holidays in 2026 in Ireland?

With 10 fixed holidays, the smartest play is to chain annual leave around them. Here are the most efficient strategies.

Holiday planning tips Ireland 2026

• Use 1 day of annual leave on Friday before a Monday holiday → 4-day weekend (6 times)
• For St. Patrick’s Day (Tue), take Monday off → 4-day weekend
• For New Year’s Day (Thu), take Friday off → 4-day weekend
• Christmas 2026: Friday 25 Dec + weekend + Monday 28 Dec (observed) → 4-day weekend automatically; take Tue 29 Dec off for 5-day break

Using annual leave to extend long weekends

The most efficient year requires 14 days of annual leave to create 12 consecutive days off around Christmas and New Year, plus seven long weekends across the year (Purpletree.ie (employer advisory)).

The trade-off: July is a desert — no bank holiday means a full month of five-day work weeks unless you schedule leave. Plan accordingly.

What the experts say

“The 2026 list of public holidays in Ireland is fixed. Employers should ensure contracts and payroll systems reflect the 10 days. Note that St. Stephen’s Day (Saturday) will be observed on Monday 28 December for most workers.”

— Citizens Information (Irish government service)

“For businesses, the Monday bank holidays in 2026 — six in total — create predictable staffing patterns. Plan for reduced availability on the preceding Friday as workers extend their weekends.”

— Purpletree.ie (employer advisory)

“Banking customers should note that Monday 28 December and Tuesday 29 December 2026 are bank holidays for payment processing due to Christmas and St. Stephen’s Day falling on weekend.”

— Danske Bank Ireland (financial services)

For anyone managing payroll or scheduling in Ireland, the 2026 calendar is a known quantity. The risk is not in the dates — they’re set — but in failing to plan around the six Monday holidays and the December double-header. For workers in Ireland, the choice is clear: align annual leave with the Monday holidays for maximum time off, or face a July stretch with no break.

For those planning even further ahead, Irelands 2026 bank holiday guide offers a comprehensive look at dates and pay rules for the year.

Frequently asked questions

For more details on Ireland’s time changes, see our guide on When Do the Clocks Go Forward in Ireland? 2026 Dates. And for upcoming policy changes, check Ireland 2025 Payment Reform: Budget & Welfare Changes.