Public Holidays in Ireland
Statutory public holidays in Ireland, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.
Ireland at a glance
Ireland has ten public holidays, several tied to the Catholic calendar. St Patrick’s Day on 17 March is the best-known and is celebrated worldwide.
Most holidays fall on a Monday when the date is fixed, and the October bank holiday makes a popular late-autumn break.
Ireland public holidays 2026
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2026 – the statutory days off. The table below lists those public holidays; observances and other non-statutory dates are not part of the total.
| Holiday | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan 1Thu | National |
| Saint Brigid's Day | Feb 2Mon | National |
| Saint Patrick's Day | Mar 17Tue | National |
| Easter Monday | Apr 6Mon | National |
| May Day | May 4Mon | National |
| June Bank Holiday | Jun 1Mon | Bank |
| August Bank Holiday | Aug 3Mon | Bank |
| October Bank Holiday | Oct 26Mon | Bank |
| Christmas Day | Dec 25Fri | National |
| Saint Stephen's Day | Dec 26Sat | National |
Showing 10 of 10 public holidays for 2026.
Major cities in Ireland
The urban centres that anchor most trips to Ireland.
Dublin
A Georgian capital of literary pubs, a river Liffey and a fast tech quarter.
Cork
Ireland's second city, a rebel port rebuilt around a river island centre.
Galway
A festival city on the Atlantic with a Latin-quarter of music and colour.
Limerick
A city on the Shannon with a medieval core and castles nearby.
Kilkenny
A small walled city of a castle, cathedral and a craft trail.
Top attractions in Ireland
The places that draw most visitors to Ireland.
Cliffs of Moher
Sheer sea cliffs rising over 200 metres above the Atlantic surf.
Giant's Causeway
Some 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed by ancient lava.
Ring of Kerry
A loop of mountains, bays and villages around the Iveragh peninsula.
Newgrange
A passage tomb older than Stonehenge, aligned to the winter solstice sunrise.
Skellig Michael
A monastic island of beehive cells on a steep rock, filmed as a Star Wars location.
Connemara
A west-coast region of bogs, mountains and scattered whitewashed villages.
Festivals, food and getting around Ireland
What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.
Festivals behind the holidays
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New Year's Day
Falls on Jan 1
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St. Brigid’s Day
Falls on Feb 1
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St. Brigid’s Day
Falls on Feb 2
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Mother's Day
Falls on Mar 15
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St. Patrick's Day
Falls on Mar 17
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March Equinox
Falls on Mar 20
Food & drink
Getting around
Buses and trains link the main towns; rural Ireland is far easier with a car, and drives are slower than distances suggest.
Travelling around Ireland’s holidays
What the dates mean once you are there.
Book around the peaks
Transport and hotels in Ireland tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.
Check opening hours
Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.
Carry local currency
Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.
Expect crowded transport
Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.
Confirm the official list
Ireland's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.
Plan the long weekends
Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.
Ireland public holidays: common questions
How many public holidays does Ireland have?
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2026, counting every date typed National, Substitute or Bank in our calendar. Observances, religious dates and regional holidays are listed separately and left out of the total, because they are not days off across the whole country.
Where can I find the full 2026 list?
The complete 2026 calendar for Ireland is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.
Are Ireland's public holidays paid?
Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.
Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?
Where a holiday falls on a weekend, Ireland typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.
Are there regional holidays in Ireland?
Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.
Which years are covered for Ireland?
Calendars are published for 2026, 2025.
School holidays in Ireland
The Department of Education standardises the mid-term breaks by circular, but each school sets its own start and end dates, so the rows below should be treated as planning guidance only. We were unable to open the primary circular page directly, so none of these dates are confirmed against an official source yet.
2026
| Region | Holiday | Starts | Ends | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | October mid-termUnconfirmedStandardised by circular; the primary page could not be opened, so this is unconfirmed. | 26 Oct 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | official page |
| National | Christmas holidaysUnconfirmedUnconfirmed - schools reopen around 6 January 2027. | 23 Dec 2026 | 5 Jan 2027 | official page |
2027
| Region | Holiday | Starts | Ends | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | February mid-term (post-primary)UnconfirmedUnconfirmed; primary schools may close fewer days. | 15 Feb 2027 | 19 Feb 2027 | official page |
| National | Easter holidaysUnconfirmedUnconfirmed. | 20 Mar 2027 | 4 Apr 2027 | official page |
Official sources: Department of Education circular on the standardised school year (primary page could not be retrieved) (checked 10 Sep 2026)
School term dates in Ireland
Term dates below are the periods when classes are in session.
2026
| Region | Term | Starts | Ends | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | School year opensUnconfirmedTypical week containing 1 September; each school decides - unconfirmed. | 1 Sep 2026 | not published | official page |
2027
| Region | Term | Starts | Ends | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | School year closes (primary)UnconfirmedTypical end-June for primary schools; post-primary closes earlier around exams - unconfirmed. | 28 Jun 2027 | not published | official page |
Official sources: Department of Education circular on the standardised school year (primary page could not be retrieved) (checked 10 Sep 2026)
School calendar data last updated 10 Sep 2026. Dates come from education ministries and local education authorities; always re-check with the school before booking travel.