Public Holidays

In Ireland there are ten public holidays each year.

From 2023, there is a public holiday on the first Monday in February, except where 1st February falls on a Friday in which case that Friday 1st February will be the public holiday.

Public holidays are:

• New Year’s Day (1st January)
• First Monday in February
• St. Patrick’s Day (17th March)
• Easter Monday
• First Monday in May
• First Monday in June
• First Monday in August
• Last Monday in October
• Christmas Day (25th December)
• St. Stephen’s Day (26th December)

Good Friday is not a public holiday and is a normal working day.

In respect of a public holiday, the employee is entitled to whichever of the following his/her employer determines:
a) a paid day off on that day
b) a paid day off within a month of that day
c) an additional day of annual leave
d) an additional day of pay

Full-time workers have immediate entitlement to benefit for public holidays and part-time workers have entitlement to benefit when they have worked a total of 40 hours in the previous 5 weeks.

When a person works on a public holiday they are entitled to be paid for the day in accordance with their agreed rates. In addition, they also have an entitlement to benefit for the public holiday. This can be different for each public holiday and each employee depending on the individual’s work pattern.