Public Holidays in Ireland 2027: Dates To Remember

As you plan your organization's activities and events for 2027, it's important to keep track of official bank holidays. The Republic of Ireland, with its diverse cultural tapestry, offers a unique set of holidays that commemorate days of cultural or religious significance.

On bank holidays in Ireland, the majority of businesses shut their doors. Schools are also closed, while other services such as public transport may still run but with reduced frequency. Consequently, it's important to know when the next bank holiday is coming up so you can plan your work shifts and make any necessary arrangements.

While the Republic of Ireland shares some public holidays with Northern Ireland and other UK countries, it also has a few of its own holidays and observances. With remote and cross-border teams becoming more common, it's useful to be aware of upcoming public holidays in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

What You Need To Know About Irish Public Holidays

Public holidays are often referred to as bank holidays in Ireland. During the year, the Republic of Ireland has 10 public holidays. Most of them are always observed on a Monday, with the exception of New Year's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas Day, and Saint Stephen's Day. As these holidays are on fixed dates, they fall on a different weekday each year. St. Brigid's Day is a Monday too, unless 1 February is a Friday.

While full-time employees are immediately entitled to benefit for public holidays, the rules are a bit different for part-time employees. They need to have worked at least 40 hours in the five weeks before the public holiday.

It's also important to note that public holidays are not included in employees' annual leave entitlement, which is a minimum of 20 days for full-time employees. This means that employees in Ireland can celebrate public holidays, while still enjoying at least 20 days of paid leave each year. For each public holiday, eligible employees are entitled to one of the following: a paid day off on the day, a paid day off within a month, an additional day of annual leave, or an additional day's pay.

There are no substitute ("in lieu") days in Ireland. If a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, as Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day do in 2027, employees are still entitled to the benefit for it, but they have no automatic right to take the next working day off.

For more detailed information about annual leave entitlement and public holidays, visit the Citizens Information website.

Ireland Public Holidays 2027

Date	English Name	Irish Name
Friday 1 January	New Year's Day	Lá Caille
Monday 1 February	Saint Brigid's Day / Imbolc	Lá Fhéile Bríde / Imbolc
Wednesday 17 March	Saint Patrick's Day	Lá Fhéile Pádraig
Monday 29 March	Easter Monday	Luan Cásca
Monday 3 May	May Day	Lá Bealtaine
Monday 7 June	June Bank Holiday	Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh
Monday 2 August	August Bank Holiday	Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa
Monday 25 October	October Bank Holiday	Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair
Saturday 25 December	Christmas Day	Lá Nollag
Sunday 26 December	Saint Stephen's Day	Lá Fhéile Stiofáin

Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day fall on a weekend in 2027. Unlike in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, the public holidays are not moved to the following Monday and Tuesday.

Irish Bank Holidays in Detail

New Year's Day (Friday 1 January)

Marking the first day of the new year, New Year's Day is one of Ireland's most widely celebrated public holidays. It's a day of rest after the celebrations of New Year's Eve and is typically observed with family gatherings, traditional meals, and New Year's resolutions. In 2027, the holiday falls on a Friday, giving many workers a long weekend.

St. Brigid's Day / Imbolc (Monday 1 February)

The newest addition to Ireland's public holidays, St. Brigid's Day was first celebrated as an official public holiday in 2023. It coincides with the traditional Gaelic festival of Imbolc that marks the beginning of spring. For Christians, it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, the patroness saint of Ireland and one of the country's three national saints.

Although St. Brigid's Day is celebrated on 1 February, the public holiday is always observed on the first Monday of February, unless 1 February happens to fall on a Friday, in which case that Friday is the public holiday (gov.ie). In 2027, 1 February is itself a Monday, so the public holiday falls on St. Brigid's Day.

St. Patrick's Day (Wednesday 17 March)

On 17 March, Ireland celebrates its most famous patron saint, Saint Patrick. Marking the traditional date of Saint Patrick's death, St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's national day. It is also widely celebrated in other countries with Irish diaspora, most notably the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, and Russia. While traditional celebrations typically include attending mass and wearing green clothing and shamrocks, modern celebrations are known for large parades that attract tourists from around the world.

St. Patrick's Day is a fixed-date holiday, so it is always on the 17th. In 2027, it falls on a Wednesday.

Easter Monday (Monday 29 March)

Easter Monday is one of the moveable public holidays in Ireland. It can fall on any date between 23 March and 26 April. In 2027, it falls early, on 29 March.

For Christians in Ireland, Easter is a significant religious occasion, with families attending special church services and vigils throughout the Easter weekend. Easter Sunday is typically marked with a traditional feast and Easter egg hunts.

While Good Friday (26 March in 2027) is not an official public holiday in Ireland, some schools and businesses close on that day. Employees have no automatic right to time off.

May Day (Monday 3 May)

While May Day is usually celebrated on 1 May around Europe, in Ireland the public holiday falls on the first Monday in May. In 2027, that will be the third of the month. May Day is also referred to as the May Bank Holiday, and it coincides with the ancient Celtic festival of Bealtaine (Beltane in English) which marked the beginning of summer.

June Bank Holiday (Monday 7 June)

About a month later, Ireland celebrates another public holiday, simply known as the June Bank Holiday. Falling regularly on the first Monday of June, the June Bank Holiday provides a great opportunity for people to enjoy a long weekend in the middle of the year.

August Bank Holiday (Monday 2 August)

On the first Monday of August, Ireland celebrates the August Bank Holiday. Corresponding to the Gaelic festival of Lúnasa, this public holiday marks the transition of the seasons from summer to autumn, providing another long weekend for outdoor activities.

October Bank Holiday (Monday 25 October)

The next public holiday comes on the last Monday of October, which in 2027 will be the 25th of the month. The October Bank Holiday corresponds with the Gaelic seasonal festival Samhain, which marks the beginning of winter.

Christmas Day (Saturday 25 December)

One of the most significant dates of the calendar year, Christmas Day is celebrated in Ireland with a public holiday. On 25 December, people typically exchange gifts and enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner with family, friends, and loved ones. Many businesses will close early on 24 December, Christmas Eve, and public transport may run a reduced service.

In 2027, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday. There is no substitute day: employees who qualify still get the benefit for the public holiday (for example, a paid day off within a month or an additional day of annual leave), but not an automatic day off on Monday 27 December.

St. Stephen's Day (Sunday 26 December)

The day after Christmas Day, the people of Ireland continue their festive celebrations with St. Stephen's Day. On this Christian feast day, many people attend church and spend time with their family. It also coincides with the traditional Irish celebration of Lá an Dreoilín (Day of the Wren).

St. Stephen's Day falls on a Sunday in 2027. As with Christmas Day, the benefit for the public holiday still applies, but there is no automatic day off on Tuesday 28 December.

Other Notable Dates in Ireland in 2027

There are several other significant dates in Ireland that, although they are not public holidays, you may want to make a note of.

• Sunday 7 March – Mother's Day
• Friday 26 March – Good Friday
• Sunday 28 March – Start of Daylight Saving Time; clocks go forward one hour
• Sunday 20 June – Father's Day
• Sunday 31 October – End of Daylight Saving Time; clocks go back one hour
• Friday 31 December – New Year's Eve

Bank Holidays in Northern Ireland

Like the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland also has 10 official bank holidays. Four of these fall on the same day as Irish public holidays in 2027, but there are a few differences to be aware of. Unlike in the Republic, Northern Ireland moves Christmas Day and Boxing Day to substitute days when they fall on a weekend. Check out our UK bank holidays article for more details on these dates.

• Friday 1 January – New Year's Day
• Wednesday 17 March – St. Patrick's Day
• Friday 26 March – Good Friday
• Monday 29 March – Easter Monday
• Monday 3 May – Early May Bank Holiday
• Monday 31 May – Spring Bank Holiday
• Monday 12 July – Battle of the Boyne / Orangemen's Day
• Monday 30 August – Summer Bank Holiday
• Monday 27 December – Christmas Day (substitute day)
• Tuesday 28 December – Boxing Day (substitute day)