Ireland bank holidays 2027: the full list of dates and days, and the Christmas weekend catch nobody wants

Here are the Ireland bank holidays 2027: ten public holidays, starting with New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January and ending with a Christmas that falls entirely on a weekend. Christmas Day 2027 is a Saturday and St Stephen’s Day a Sunday, and in the Republic that doesn’t mean extra weekdays off. Below is the full official list with days of the week, the two public holidays left in 2026, how Northern Ireland differs, and what you’re entitled to.

Ireland bank holidays 2027: the full list

Citizens Information publishes the official list of Irish public holidays. These are the dates for 2027:

A few things stand out. New Year’s Day is a Friday, which gives a long weekend to start the year. St Brigid’s Day lands on Monday 1 February itself, because the holiday is set as the first Monday in February. The only exception is when 1 February is a Friday, in which case the Friday is the holiday. St Patrick’s Day is midweek, on a Wednesday. Easter is early, so Easter Monday falls on 29 March, less than two weeks after Paddy’s Day.

The remaining bank holidays in 2026

With the October bank holiday (26 October) now gone, two public holidays are left this year:

Because St Stephen’s Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, Monday 28 December is not an automatic day off in the Republic. For the full festive calendar, including when schools close and posting deadlines, see our guide to Christmas 2026 key dates in Ireland.

What if a bank holiday falls on a weekend?

This is the question that matters most for both Christmas 2026 and Christmas 2027. Citizens Information says that when a public holiday falls on a day you wouldn’t normally work, including a Saturday or Sunday, you are still entitled to public holiday benefit. You do not have an automatic legal right to the next working day off. Instead, your employer picks one of these:

• a paid day off on the public holiday itself
• a paid day off within a month of the holiday
• an extra day of annual leave
• an extra day’s pay

You can ask your employer, at least 21 days before the holiday, which option will apply. If the employer hasn’t answered at least 14 days beforehand, you can take the public holiday itself as a paid day off. Full-time workers qualify straight away. Part-time workers qualify if they have worked at least 40 hours in the five weeks before the holiday. Many employers do close on 27 and 28 December 2027, but that is up to each employer, not the law.

Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland?

No. Good Friday, which falls on 26 March in 2027, is not a public holiday in the Republic. Some schools and businesses close, but employees have no automatic right to the day off. Easter school holidays in 2027 run from Friday 19 March to Monday 5 April, according to Schooldays.ie’s summary of the Department of Education’s standardised calendar.

Northern Ireland bank holidays 2027

Northern Ireland has a different set of holidays, and it does use substitute days. According to NIBusinessInfo, the 2027 list is:

For the rest of 2026, Northern Ireland has Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and a substitute Boxing Day holiday on Monday 28 December.

What happens next

The 2027 dates are set by the established rules for each holiday, and no new public holiday has been announced for next year. If the Government adds one, as it did when St Brigid’s Day was introduced in 2023, we will update this list. For more on your money and rights at work this winter, see our guides to Irish household bills in 2026 and Black Friday 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many bank holidays are there in Ireland in 2027?

Ten public holidays, from New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January to St Stephen’s Day on Sunday 26 December.

When is the St Brigid’s Day bank holiday 2027?

Monday 1 February 2027.

When is Easter Monday 2027?

Monday 29 March 2027. Good Friday, 26 March, is not a public holiday in the Republic.

Do we get 27 and 28 December 2027 off in Ireland?

Not automatically. Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so you are entitled to public holiday benefit, such as an extra day’s leave or pay, but not to the following weekdays off. Northern Ireland does have substitute holidays on 27 and 28 December.

What bank holidays are left in 2026?

Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and St Stephen’s Day (Saturday 26 December).

When is the October bank holiday 2027?

Monday 25 October 2027, the last Monday in October.

Sources

• Citizens Information: Public holidays (accessed 1 November 2026)
• NIBusinessInfo: Bank and public holidays in Northern Ireland (accessed 1 November 2026)
• Schooldays.ie: Standardised school years 2026-2029, key dates (accessed 1 November 2026)

Featured image: photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash.