Public holidays

Public holidays are days when most employees get paid time off. They are sometimes called bank holidays and apply to staff who meet the eligibility criteria.

List of public holidays

There are 10 public holidays each year in Ireland.

Christmas Day
St Stephen’s Day
New Year’s Day
St Patrick’s Day
Easter Monday
St Brigid’s Day (1 February if it’s a Friday; otherwise the first Monday in February)
First Monday in May
First Monday in June
First Monday in August
Last Monday in October

Who is entitled to public holidays

Full-time permanent and temporary employees are entitled to public holiday benefits.

If you work part-time or on a casual basis, you must have worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday to qualify.

Types of public holiday benefits

Your employer decides which type of public holiday day benefit you receive.

Instead of a public holiday, you may receive 1 of the following:

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

Public holiday entitlements

Public holiday entitlements can vary in the following situations:

absence on a public holiday
absence before a public holiday
when your employment has ended

The sections below outline how public holiday pay applies in each case.

Absence on a public holiday

Your manager will explain what pay or benefits apply if you’re absent on a public holiday for any of the following reasons:

a doctor has certified you as sick
you work in a job‑share arrangement
you’re on a ‘5 over 7’ roster
you don’t normally work on the day the public holiday falls

Absence before a public holiday

You are not entitled to a public holiday if you were absent from work immediately beforehand for any of the following reasons:

an occupational injury lasting 52 consecutive weeks or more
an illness or non‑occupational injury lasting 26 consecutive weeks or more
any other type of absence lasting 13 consecutive weeks or more
participation in a strike
carer’s leave beyond the first 13 weeks
health and safety leave

Public holiday pay when your employment has ended

You’re entitled to payment for a public holiday that falls in the week after your final week of work. You must have worked during the 4 weeks before your last week.

For example, if Christmas Day falls on a Friday and your employment ends the previous Friday (18 December), you’re entitled to payment if you worked during the 4 weeks before that week.