Is today a public holiday in Ireland?

Working Time Act, Statutory Entitlements & Financial Rails

In Ireland, statutory public holidays are codified under Section 21 and the Second Schedule of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, enforced by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Following the statutory addition of St Brigid's Day in 2023, Ireland recognizes 10 statutory public holidays per calendar year.

Public Holidays vs. Bank Holidays: The Good Friday Distinction

While the terms 'bank holiday' and 'public holiday' are often used colloquially as synonyms, Irish employment law draws a sharp legal line between them:

• Statutory Public Holidays (10 Days): Entitle eligible workers to statutory protections and paid benefits under the 1997 Act. These comprise New Year's Day, St Brigid's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, the first Monday in May, the first Monday in June, the first Monday in August, the last Monday in October, Christmas Day, and St Stephen's Day (26 December).
• Good Friday: Established as a financial holiday under the Public Holidays Act 1871 and Bills of Exchange Act 1882. Commercial banks, financial exchanges, and schools close. However, Good Friday is not a statutory public holiday under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. Private-sector employers are under no statutory obligation to grant paid leave or premium pay on Good Friday; holiday entitlement depends strictly on individual employment contracts or collective agreements.

The 4 Statutory Employer Options (Section 21 Entitlements)

Under Section 21(1) of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, an employer who requires work or whose workplace closes on a public holiday must provide eligible employees with one of four statutory remedies determined by the employer:

1. A paid day off on that day;
2. A paid day off within a month of that day;
3. An additional day of annual leave; or
4. An additional day's pay.

If an employee is not rostered to work on a public holiday (for example, if the holiday lands on their standard non-working day), they remain entitled to one-fifth of their normal weekly wage or an additional day off in lieu.

Part-Time Workers & The 40-Hour Qualification Rule

Unlike full-time staff who qualify for public holiday entitlements immediately upon commencement of employment, part-time and temporary employees must meet a statutory threshold under Section 21(2) of the Act: the worker must have worked at least 40 hours in the 5-week period immediately preceding the day before the public holiday. If this threshold is met, the employee is entitled to public holiday compensation even if they do not normally work on that specific day of the week.

Weekend Holidays & In-Lieu Conventions

When a fixed-date statutory public holiday falls on a weekend, Irish law does not grant an automatic statutory right to the following Monday off. Instead, the employer must fulfill the employee's entitlement using one of the four statutory options under Section 21 (most commonly by granting an additional day's pay or adding a day to their annual leave balance).

In 2026, St Stephen's Day (26 December 2026) falls on a Saturday following Christmas Day on Friday. While commercial banks and public civil service offices designate Monday, 28 December 2026 as a bank holiday in lieu, private employers may satisfy statutory requirements through an extra day's pay or compensatory leave. Discover strategic Irish leave-combining opportunities using our 2026 PTO Maximizer.

Banking Clearing Rails: Central Bank of Ireland & BPFI

Wholesale interbank financial settlement is supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland and coordinated through the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). Interbank euro settlements run across the Eurosystem's TARGET2 (T2) engine, which pauses on pan-European clearing holidays.

Retail banking operates across two primary channels:

• SEPA Batch Clearing: Standard electronic funds transfers (EFT) and corporate direct debit payroll files do not settle on statutory bank holidays or Good Friday. Payment batches scheduled for a public holiday process on the next active banking business day.
• SEPA Instant Credit Transfers: Participating Irish financial institutions process instant retail transfers in under ten seconds 24/7/365. Calculate contractual payment turnaround times using our Working Days Calculator.

Euronext Dublin (Irish Stock Exchange Trading Schedule)

The Euronext Dublin stock exchange maintains an operational trading calendar that integrates both Irish statutory dates and pan-European market conventions:

• Exchange Closures: Euronext Dublin halts cash equity and bond trading on all Irish public holidays (including St Patrick's Day and the May, June, August, and October Bank Holidays), as well as on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
• Christmas Period: When St Stephen's Day falls on a Saturday (as in 2026), the exchange observes the financial market holiday on the following Monday, 28 December 2026. Early morning trading halts typically occur at 12:28 local time on Christmas Eve (24 Dec) and New Year's Eve (31 Dec).

Ireland Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Ireland, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Ireland

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Ireland should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: