Public Holiday Calendar Guide for Ireland
Ireland has ten statutory public holidays. Employment law gives qualifying employees a public-holiday benefit, but it does not mean that every employee automatically receives the holiday itself as a day off.[1] The calendar combines national and religious observances with several Monday holidays, while opening hours and transport services can differ substantially from an ordinary working day.
Public Holidays and Employment Rights
Public-holiday entitlements are governed principally by the Organisation of Working Time Act. For each public holiday, an employer determines which statutory benefit applies: a paid day off on the holiday, a paid day off within a month, an additional day of annual leave, or an additional day's pay.[1] This distinction matters for employees whose workplaces remain open, because working on a public holiday does not remove their entitlement to the applicable public-holiday benefit.
Full-time employees qualify for public-holiday benefit immediately. Part-time employees qualify when they have worked at least forty hours during the five weeks preceding the holiday.[1] If a business is closed and an employee would ordinarily have worked that day, the employee receives their normal day's pay. Different rules apply when the holiday falls on a day the employee would not normally work.[1]
What Happens When a Holiday Falls at the Weekend?
A common misconception is that an Irish public holiday falling at the weekend automatically moves to the following Monday. The holiday itself does not move, and there is no general legal entitlement to have the next working day off. Employees who qualify for the holiday benefit must instead receive one of the alternatives provided by employment law.[1]
This can produce a difference between the dates shown on a public-holiday calendar and the day an individual employee actually receives away from work. Employers and employees should therefore distinguish between the statutory holiday and any substitute day off provided as the employee's benefit.
St Patrick's Day and Irish Culture
St Patrick's Day is Ireland's national holiday and originated as a religious feast honouring the country's patron saint. Its modern celebration extends well beyond its religious origins, with parades, performances and other expressions of Irish culture and heritage.[2]
Dublin hosts the national St Patrick's Festival, whose programme combines the major parade with music, performance and cultural events.[2] Celebrations also take place in communities elsewhere in Ireland, so visitors planning travel around the national holiday should check local event programmes, road restrictions and transport arrangements rather than assuming that normal schedules will apply.
Good Friday Is Not a Public Holiday
Good Friday has a prominent place in the Easter period but is not one of Ireland's statutory public holidays. Employees therefore have no automatic statutory entitlement to a day off solely because it is Good Friday, although an employment contract or workplace arrangement may provide one. Easter Monday, by contrast, is a statutory public holiday.[1]
This distinction is useful when planning appointments, work or travel over Easter. Individual schools, businesses and organisations may close on Good Friday even though employment law does not classify it as a public holiday.
Closures, Shopping and Public Transport
Public holidays do not produce a uniform nationwide shutdown. Many businesses and schools close, while other services continue with altered arrangements.[1] Shops, restaurants, attractions and other private businesses determine their own opening schedules, so a public holiday should not be treated as a guarantee that a particular venue will be either open or closed.
Public transport can operate to special or reduced timetables. Iarnród Éireann advises passengers to use its Journey Planner for up-to-date train times rather than relying solely on static timetable information.[3] The same practical principle applies to other operators: check the relevant journey planner before travelling, particularly when services may differ from normal weekday schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions about Public Holidays in Ireland
How many public holidays are there in Ireland?
Ireland has ten statutory public holidays.[1] Good Friday is not included in that total.
Does a public holiday falling at the weekend automatically move to Monday?
No. The public holiday itself does not automatically transfer to the next working day, and employees have no general statutory right to take that next working day off. A qualifying employee must instead receive the applicable public-holiday benefit provided under employment law.[1]
Do employees have to work on public holidays in Ireland?
There is no general rule requiring every workplace to close. An employee who works on a public holiday is paid for the work according to the agreed rate and remains entitled to the appropriate statutory public-holiday benefit.[1]
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland?
No. Good Friday is not a statutory public holiday, so employees do not receive an automatic public-holiday entitlement for that day. Some employers and organisations may nevertheless close or provide time off under their own arrangements.[1]
Do trains run on Irish public holidays?
Rail services can operate on different timetables around public holidays. Iarnród Éireann recommends using its Journey Planner for current train times, so passengers should check their specific journey before travelling.[3]
Sources
- Public Holidays- Workplace Relations Commission
- St Patrick’s Festival Dublin | Origins, History & Irish Culture- St Patrick's Festival
- Train Timetables by Route- Iarnród Éireann