Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2027, officially called public holidays. Six fall on a Monday, St. Patrick’s Day lands on a Wednesday, and both Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day fall on a weekend with no automatic substitute days off in the Republic of Ireland.
Below you’ll find every date and weekday, a printable calendar, the Christmas weekend rules, what you’re entitled to as an employee, the best ways to stretch your annual leave, and how the Northern Ireland calendar differs. For family plans, compare these with the 2026/2027 school holiday dates so you can line up leave with school breaks.
Quick answer: Ireland bank holidays 2027
- Total: 10 public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.
- First: New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, 2027.
- Monday holidays: St. Brigid’s Day (Feb 1), Easter Monday (Mar 29), May (May 3), June (Jun 7), August (Aug 2) and October (Oct 25).
- Weekend holidays: Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec 25) and St. Stephen’s Day (Sunday, Dec 26). Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December are not public holidays.
- Not public holidays: Good Friday (Mar 26) and Christmas Eve (Dec 24).
Ireland Bank Holidays 2027: Full Calendar
These are the official 2027 public holiday dates for the Republic of Ireland, with each holiday’s Irish-language name. Northern Ireland follows a separate calendar.
| Date | Weekday | Public Holiday | Irish Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day | Lá Caille |
| February 1, 2027 | Monday | St. Brigid’s Day | Lá Fhéile Bríde |
| March 17, 2027 | Wednesday | St. Patrick’s Day | Lá Fhéile Pádraig |
| March 29, 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday | Luan Cásca |
| May 3, 2027 | Monday | May Bank Holiday | Lá Bealtaine |
| June 7, 2027 | Monday | June Bank Holiday | Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh |
| August 2, 2027 | Monday | August Bank Holiday | Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa |
| October 25, 2027 | Monday | October Bank Holiday | Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair |
| December 25, 2027 | Saturday | Christmas Day | Lá Nollag |
| December 26, 2027 | Sunday | St. Stephen’s Day | Lá Fhéile Stiofáin |
Dates checked against Citizens Information and the Workplace Relations Commission in October 2026.
Most of these follow a fixed rule, which is why the dates move each year: the May, June and August holidays are the first Monday of the month, the October holiday is the last Monday in October, and Easter Monday follows the date of Easter (Easter Sunday is March 28 in 2027). New Year’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day always keep their fixed dates.
Want the whole year on one page? Save or print the calendar below.
For plans spanning both years, check the separate Ireland bank holidays 2026 calendar. If you’re arranging family leave over New Year, the Christmas 2026 school break and January 2027 return dates will help you check the full school closure.
Bank Holiday vs. Public Holiday: Is There a Difference in Ireland?
In everyday use, no. Irish people say “bank holiday” for the same 10 days, and Citizens Information notes that public holidays are sometimes called bank holidays. The legal term is public holiday, set out in the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, and that’s what decides your employment rights.
The one practical difference: banks and some financial firms occasionally close on extra days that aren’t public holidays, most often around Christmas. Those closures don’t give employees any extra entitlement. If you need a payment or bank appointment over Christmas 2027, check your bank’s opening hours nearer the time.
Christmas 2027: Do You Get Substitute Days Off?
No, not automatically. Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25, and St. Stephen’s Day on Sunday, December 26. They’re the only two Irish public holidays that fall on a weekend in 2027.
According to the Workplace Relations Commission, a public holiday stays on its date even when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Qualifying employees keep their public holiday benefit, but there’s no automatic legal right to the next working day off.
So Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28, aren’t replacement public holidays in the Republic. Your employer may give you those days off as your benefit, or choose another permitted benefit. For a business that normally operates Monday to Friday, that means one of:
- A paid day off within a month of the holiday (for example, December 27 or 28).
- An additional day of annual leave.
- An additional day’s pay.
Ask how each of the two holidays will be handled before you book a Christmas break. Note that New Year’s Day 2028 also falls on a Saturday, so the same rule applies to the first public holiday of 2028.
This is different from Northern Ireland, where Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December 2027 are official substitute bank holidays.
What Are Employees Entitled To on a Public Holiday?
A public holiday gives qualifying employees the right to a benefit — it doesn’t guarantee every employee the day off. Under section 21 of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, your employer decides which of these you receive:
- A paid day off on the public holiday.
- A paid day off within a month of the public holiday.
- An additional day of annual leave.
- An additional day’s pay.
If the holiday falls on a day that isn’t a normal working day for the business, giving you “that day off” doesn’t count — one of the other three options applies.
Tip: you can ask in advance. You can ask your employer, at least 21 days before a public holiday, which benefit will apply. If they don’t reply at least 14 days before the holiday, you’re entitled to take the public holiday itself as a paid day off, according to Citizens Information.
Who Qualifies for a Public Holiday Benefit?
Full-time employees qualify immediately, no matter how long they’ve been in the job. Part-time employees qualify once they’ve worked at least 40 hours in the five weeks before the public holiday. Time spent on annual leave counts toward those 40 hours.
Your working pattern affects how the benefit is calculated. If you’re eligible but not normally rostered to work on the day of the holiday, you’re entitled to one-fifth of your normal weekly pay. Employees on temporary lay-off keep the benefit for holidays that fall within the first 13 weeks of lay-off.
What If You Work on the Public Holiday?
If you work on a public holiday, you’re paid for that work at your agreed rate plus the separate public holiday benefit. Don’t assume this means double pay: the benefit can be paid time off or an extra day’s pay, and your employer chooses which.
Confirm the arrangement with your employer or payroll team, especially if you work shifts or weekends. If you don’t receive your entitlement, you can complain to the Workplace Relations Commission, normally within six months.
Best Long Weekends Around Ireland Bank Holidays 2027
For employees who work Monday to Friday and get weekday public holidays off, 2027 has seven three-day weekends without using any annual leave: New Year’s Day, St. Brigid’s Day, Easter Monday, and the May, June, August and October holidays.
The real win is in March. Because St. Patrick’s Day falls just 12 days before Easter Monday, you can turn 13 days of annual leave into 23 days off in a row, from Saturday, March 13, to Sunday, April 4.
The combinations below assume Saturday and Sunday are your usual days off, weekday public holidays are paid days off, and your annual leave is approved. Each total includes weekends, and Good Friday (March 26) counts as a leave day.
| Holiday | Annual Leave to Request | Continuous Time Off | Leave Days Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Brigid’s Day | February 2–5 | January 30–February 7: 9 days | 4 |
| St. Patrick’s Day (short) | March 15–16 | March 13–17: 5 days | 2 |
| St. Patrick’s Day | March 15–16 and 18–19 | March 13–21: 9 days | 4 |
| Easter Monday | March 30–April 2 | March 27–April 4: 9 days | 4 |
| Easter fortnight | March 22–26 and March 30–April 2 | March 20–April 4: 16 days | 9 |
| St. Patrick’s Day + Easter | March 15–16, 18–19, 22–26 and March 30–April 2 | March 13–April 4: 23 days | 13 |
| May Bank Holiday | May 4–7 | May 1–9: 9 days | 4 |
| June Bank Holiday | June 8–11 | June 5–13: 9 days | 4 |
| August Bank Holiday | August 3–6 | July 31–August 8: 9 days | 4 |
| October Bank Holiday | October 26–29 | October 23–31: 9 days | 4 |
| Christmas | December 27–31 (or 29–31 if your employer gives December 27–28 as the holiday benefit) | December 25–January 2, 2028: 9 days | 3–5 |
Planning to include a parade in your March break? The Saint Patrick’s Day packing guide helps you prepare for March weather, walking and crowds. Book early: the late-March Easter means school holidays and travel demand will cluster around the same weeks.
Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2027
Searching for “Ireland bank holidays” from Belfast, Derry or a cross-border job? Northern Ireland is part of the UK and has its own 10 bank and public holidays, published by nidirect:
| Date | Weekday | Northern Ireland Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 | Friday | New Year’s Day |
| March 17, 2027 | Wednesday | St. Patrick’s Day |
| March 26, 2027 | Friday | Good Friday |
| March 29, 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday |
| May 3, 2027 | Monday | Early May Bank Holiday |
| May 31, 2027 | Monday | Spring Bank Holiday |
| July 12, 2027 | Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) |
| August 30, 2027 | Monday | Summer Bank Holiday |
| December 27, 2027 | Monday | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| December 28, 2027 | Tuesday | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
The key differences from the Republic:
- Republic only: St. Brigid’s Day (Feb 1), the June holiday (Jun 7), the August holiday on the first Monday (Aug 2) and the October holiday (Oct 25).
- Northern Ireland only: Good Friday, the Spring Bank Holiday (May 31), July 12, and a late-August holiday (Aug 30).
- Christmas: Northern Ireland moves the weekend holidays to substitute days on December 27–28. The Republic doesn’t.
- Pay: In Northern Ireland there’s no automatic legal right to paid time off on bank holidays — it depends on your employment contract.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ireland Bank Holidays 2027
How Many Bank Holidays Are There in Ireland in 2027?
There are 10 public holidays in the Republic of Ireland in 2027. The tenth, St. Brigid’s Day, was added in 2023. Two of the ten (Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day) fall on a weekend this year.
Is Good Friday a Public Holiday in Ireland in 2027?
No. Good Friday, March 26, 2027, is not a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. Some schools and businesses close, but you have no automatic right to the day off. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
Are December 27 and 28, 2027 Bank Holidays in Ireland?
Not in the Republic. Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day stay on Saturday and Sunday, and employers choose how to give the benefit — which may or may not be December 27–28 off. In Northern Ireland, December 27 and 28 are official substitute bank holidays.
Is St. Brigid’s Day Always on February 1?
No. The public holiday is the first Monday in February, unless February 1 falls on a Friday, in which case that Friday is the holiday. In 2027, February 1 is a Monday, so the feast day and the public holiday fall on the same date.
Is Christmas Eve a Public Holiday in Ireland?
No. Christmas Eve (Friday, December 24, 2027) is a normal working day. Time off depends on your employer’s arrangements or approved annual leave.
When Is the Longest Break in 2027?
Late March. St. Patrick’s Day (Wednesday, March 17) and Easter Monday (March 29) are close enough that 13 days of annual leave gives you 23 consecutive days off, from March 13 to April 4.
