Although the Easter holidays have only recently passed, many people in Ireland are already looking forward to their next long weekend—and there’s promising news ahead for next year, reports The Mirror.
The complete schedule of Ireland’s bank holidays for 2025 and 2026 has now been released, offering a useful guide for those organising travel, family gatherings, or some much-needed relaxation.
There are a total of 10 bank holidays this year, and under the Organisation of Working Time Act, most workers are entitled to paid time off on these dates. While many businesses and schools shut down, some services like public transport continue but usually with limited hours, reports The Mirror.
To date, four bank holidays have come and gone—January, February, March, and April. The next one is quickly approaching: the May bank holiday, which will take place on Monday, May 5.
Additional public holidays will follow in June, August, and October, finishing the year with Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day, reports The Mirror.
Looking ahead to 2026, one significant change stands out: St Stephen’s Day (December 26) will occur on a Saturday. As a result, most employees will qualify for a substitute benefit—an extra day off—to make up for the public holiday happening over the weekend.
As outlined by Citizen’s Information: “If the public holiday falls on a day which is not a normal working day for that business (for example, on Saturday or Sunday), you are still entitled to benefit for that public holiday. However, you do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work,” reports The Mirror.
The Irish Government has clarified that employers must choose one of the following:
- a paid day off within a month of that day
- an additional day of annual leave
- an additional day of pay
Thanks to this rule, many employees in Ireland can expect a bonus day off during the 2026 holiday season, reports The Mirror.
And the benefits grow even further in 2027, when both Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day fall on a weekend—Saturday and Sunday—potentially granting two extra days off for many workers, depending on company policies, reports The Mirror.
Remaining 2025 bank holidays
- Monday, May 5 – May Bank Holiday
- Monday, June 2 – June Bank Holiday
- Monday, August 4 – August Bank Holiday
- Monday, October 27 – October Bank Holiday
- Thursday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Friday, December 26 – St Stephen’s DayFull list of 2026 bank holidays
- Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
- Monday, February 2 – St Brigid’s Day
- Tuesday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
- Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
- Monday, May 4 – May Bank Holiday
- Monday, June 1 – June Bank Holiday
- Monday, August 3 – August Bank Holiday
- Monday, October 26 – October Bank Holiday
- Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Saturday, December 26 – St Stephen’s Day
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