Irish Public Holidays
Created | Updated Nov 21, 2017
The Republic of Ireland has 9 days that are designated as Public Holidays. Government-run bodies such as the civil service and schools are all off work on these days, and many big companies such as banks also give their employees the day off, so these holidays are often called "Bank Holidays". Small companies are encouraged to give their staff the day off. Many shops still open on Public Holidays, but with more limited hours than normal days.
Five of the holidays always occur on a Monday. The other four are tied to particular dates, but if these dates happen on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), the public holiday is held on the following Monday. In the case of Christmas where there are two public holidays together, if the Christmas Day holiday is on the Monday, then the Stephen's Day holiday is held on the Tuesday.
The dates of the Public Holidays are as follows:
| New Year's Day | 1 January |
| St Patrick's Day | 17 March |
| Easter Monday | The day after Easter Sunday |
| May Holiday | First Monday in May |
| June Holiday | First Monday in June |
| August Holiday | Last Monday in August |
| October Holiday | Last Monday in October |
| Christmas Day | 25 December |
| St Stephen's Day | 26 December |
When the holidays are actually held are as follows:
| New Year's Day | 1st January, unless that is a Saturday or Sunday, in which case the holiday is the next Monday (2nd or 3rd January) |
| St Patrick's Holiday | 17th March, unless that is a Saturday or Sunday, in which case the holiday is the next Monday (18th or 19th March) |
| Easter Monday | The day after Easter Sunday, which is calculated by a complicated formula, but generally falls somewhere between 21st March and 23rd April. |
| May Holiday | 1st Monday in May |
| June Holiday | 1st Monday in June |
| August Holiday | Last Monday in August |
| October or Halloween Holiday | Last Monday in October |
| Christmas Holiday | 25 December, or next Monday if 25th is a Saturday or Sunday |
| Stephen's Day Holiday | The day after the Christmas Holiday, so it may be on 26, 27 or 28 December |
Other special days are Christmas Eve (the day before Christmas Day) and Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday). Most businesses have special locally-agreed arrangements for these days, but they are not official Public Holidays.
Northern Ireland shares most of the above holidays; instead of the June Holiday, they have a holiday a week earlier on the Last Monday of of May. And they have the additional 12 July holiday, celebrating a battle in a rebellion which threw out the legal king and replaced him with a foreign king.
