Table of Contents
A bank holiday is a working day on which most businesses and schools are closed. Some services, such as shops and transport operators, may still operate, but often with a restricted schedule or hours. Bank holidays are also called official public holidays
Each year there are the following bank holidays in Ireland:
- New Year’s Day (1 January)
- The first Monday in February, or 1 February if the date falls on a Friday
- Saint Patrick’s Day (17 March) – or the nearest Monday if it falls over a weekend
- Easter Monday – moves each year
- First Monday in May
- First Monday in June
- First Monday in August
- Last Monday in October
- Christmas Day (25 December)
- Saint Stephen’s Day (26 December) – also known as Boxing Day
Full List of Bank Holidays 2024 & 2025
2024
- 1st January (Monday) New Year’s Day
- 5th February (Monday) St Brigid’s Day
- 18th March (Monday) Saint Patrick’s Day
- 1st April (Monday) Easter Monday
- 6th May (Monday) May Day
- 3rd June (Monday) June Bank Holiday
- 5th August (Monday) August Bank Holiday
- 28th October (Monday) October Bank Holiday
- 25th December (Wednesday) Christmas Day
- 26th December (Thursday) St Stephen’s Day
2025
- 1st January (Wednesday) New Year’s Day
- 3rd February (Monday) St Brigid’s Day
- 17th March (Monday) Saint Patrick’s Day
- 21st April (Monday) Easter Monday
- 5th May (Monday) May Day
- 2nd June (Monday) June Bank Holiday
- 4th August (Monday) August Bank Holiday
- 27th October (Monday) October Bank Holiday
- 25th December (Thursday) Christmas Day
- 26th December (Friday) St Stephen’s Day
How to Maximise Annual Leave Using Bank Holidays
As many bank holidays fall on a Monday, you can request four days of leave and get a full week off if you book leave for the week of the bank holiday. For example, if you book Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th August as annual leave, you can be out of the office from the close of business on Friday 2nd August until the start of business on 12th August.
Over the Christmas period 2024, if you request leave for Friday 27th December, Monday 30th December and Tuesday 31st December, you can have a whole week off between Christmas Eve and 2nd January and only use three days of leave.
Employee Rights: Bank Holidays
Under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, most employees are entitled to paid leave on public holidays.
There are four different ways that your employer can meet their obligation:
- A paid day of leave on the bank holiday itself
- An extra day of annual leave is added to the leave allowance
- An additional day’s pay
- A paid day taken within a month of the public holiday
Employees are entitled to ask their employers which alternatives will apply to them at least 21 days before the public holiday. If your employer does not respond within 14 days, you can take the bank holiday as a paid day of leave (option one).
Do Part-time Employees Get Paid for Bank Holidays?
Part-time employees who have worked for at least 40 hours in the five weeks leading up to the bank holiday are entitled to the same employee rights as full-time employees if the bank holiday falls on a day they usually work.
If the bank holiday falls on a day the part-time employee doesn’t usually work, the employee is entitled to a fifth of their weekly pay in compensation.
Part-time employers who have not worked at least 40 hours in the five weeks before the bank holiday are not entitled to pay.
FAQs
When is the next bank holiday in 2024?
The next bank holiday in 2024 is the August Bank Holiday on 5th August 2024.
How many bank holidays are there be in 2024?
There are 10 bank holidays in 2024.
How many bank holidays are there in 2025?
There are 10 bank holidays in 2025.
Is the bank holiday for St Brigid’s Day a permanent bank holiday?
Yes, St Brigid’s Day is a permanent bank holiday. It is the first Irish bank holiday named after a woman and commemorates one of Ireland’s three patron saints.
Is it double pay on bank holidays?
No, companies do not have to pay double pay on bank holidays. Instead, organisations must offer the options listed under Employee Rights earlier. This is covered under the Organisation of Working Time (Determination of Pay For Holidays) Regulations (SI 475/1997).
What if a public holiday falls on a weekend?
If a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is usually moved to the next working day.
If the bank holiday falls on a weekend day and is not moved to the next working day, employees are still entitled to a day of leave, but there is no legal entitlement for the day of leave to be the next working day after the bank holiday.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday?
No, Good Friday is not a bank holiday in Ireland, but Easter Monday is. Some businesses and schools will close on Good Friday, but this is not a requirement.
Annual Leave Management with Factorial
Managing bank holidays as part of the team’s annual leave requirements can be complicated, even more so if you have part-time employees or people on sick, maternity, or paternity leave.
Our Holiday and Absence Management Software is a centralised system allowing you to track everyone’s leave. You can:
- Automate leave requests and accept or deny them in one click.
- Allow employees to manage their holiday requests from their mobile.
- Know who is on leave at any point in time.
- Customise the types of leave available for employees to take.
- Track individual employees’ requests and check their leave allowance easily.
- Create reports on employee absences and company-wide trends.
