If you’re already planning your long weekends and days off for 2025, there’s good news: Ireland’s holiday calendar has settled into a solid rhythm, with one notable change. St. Brigid’s Day is now a permanent fixture, giving workers an extra February break that wasn’t guaranteed a few years ago.

4 related posts

Public holidays in Ireland 2025: 9 ·
New permanent holiday in 2025: St. Brigid’s Day (3 February) ·
First bank holiday in 2025: 1 January (New Year’s Day) ·
Last bank holiday in 2025: 26 December (St. Stephen’s Day) ·
Extra proposed holiday in 2026: Under discussion – likely October

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • 2025 is the third year with St. Brigid’s Day as a permanent bank holiday
  • 2026 may see an extra one-off holiday for the Oireachtas centenary
  • Without the extra, 2026 would have the same nine holidays as 2025
4What’s next
  • St. Patrick’s Day (17 March 2025) is the next upcoming bank holiday
  • Government expected to confirm 2026 extra holiday later in 2025
  • Long weekends occur when a holiday falls on a Monday – check dates below

Below you’ll find every confirmed date, the difference between a public holiday and a bank holiday, and a look at what might change in 2026.

Nine public holidays in 2025, each with its date and day of week, all confirmed by official sources.
Holiday Date Day of week Status
New Year’s Day 1 January 2025 Wednesday Bank holiday
St. Brigid’s Day 3 February 2025 Monday Bank holiday (permanent since 2023)
St. Patrick’s Day 17 March 2025 Monday Bank holiday
Easter Monday 21 April 2025 Monday Public holiday
May Bank Holiday 5 May 2025 Monday Bank holiday (first Monday)
June Bank Holiday 2 June 2025 Monday Bank holiday (first Monday)
August Bank Holiday 4 August 2025 Monday Bank holiday (first Monday)
October Bank Holiday 27 October 2025 Monday Bank holiday (last Monday)
Christmas Day 25 December 2025 Thursday Bank holiday
St. Stephen’s Day 26 December 2025 Friday Bank holiday

The pattern is clear: six of nine holidays fall on Mondays, creating six long weekends for those who work a standard Monday-to-Friday week. The catch? Christmas and St. Stephen’s Day land mid-week in 2025, so those December days off won’t extend into an automatic long weekend.

What are the Irish bank holidays in 2025?

The Republic of Ireland observes nine public holidays in 2025, all confirmed by the Irish Immigration Service official government closures list. Each holiday has a fixed or floating date – St. Patrick’s Day and St. Brigid’s Day are calendar-fixed, while Easter and the Monday bank holidays shift year to year.

January – New Year’s Day

February – St. Brigid’s Day

  • Date: 3 February 2025 (Monday)
  • Type: Bank holiday (permanent since 2023)
  • St. Brigid’s Day became Ireland’s newest permanent public holiday in 2023, replacing a previous one-off arrangement (Live95FM – 2025 Bank Holiday Coverage)

March – St. Patrick’s Day

April – Easter Monday

  • Date: 21 April 2025 (Monday)
  • Type: Public holiday (not formally a bank holiday in some definitions, but widely treated as one)
  • Easter Monday is a public holiday in Ireland, though technically not a “bank holiday” in the strictest legal sense (CalendarLabs – 2025 Ireland Holidays)

May – May Bank Holiday (first Monday)

  • Date: 5 May 2025 (Monday)
  • Type: Bank holiday
  • Always the first Monday of May (Irish Immigration Service – Official Closure List)

June – June Bank Holiday (first Monday)

  • Date: 2 June 2025 (Monday)
  • Type: Bank holiday
  • Always the first Monday of June (Irish Immigration Service – Official Closure List)

August – August Bank Holiday (first Monday)

  • Date: 4 August 2025 (Monday)
  • Type: Bank holiday
  • Always the first Monday of August (Irish Immigration Service – Official Closure List)

October – October Bank Holiday (last Monday)

  • Date: 27 October 2025 (Monday)
  • Type: Bank holiday
  • Always the last Monday of October (Irish Immigration Service – Official Closure List)

December – Christmas Day & St. Stephen’s Day

  • Christmas Day: 25 December 2025 (Thursday) – bank holiday
  • St. Stephen’s Day: 26 December 2025 (Friday) – bank holiday
  • These are always bank holidays, regardless of the day of the week (CalendarDate.com – 2025 Holidays Ireland)
The upshot

With St. Brigid’s Day now permanent, Irish workers gain a February break that didn’t exist five years ago. For anyone planning 2025 time off, the calendar delivers six Monday-based long weekends – but the real story is that 2026 may bring even more.

Is there an extra bank holiday in Ireland in 2026?

The Irish government has proposed a one-off public holiday in 2026 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Oireachtas (the national parliament). According to reports, the exact date is yet to be confirmed but is likely to fall in late October or early November. Without the extra, 2026 would have the same nine holidays as 2025.

  • Proposed extra holiday: one-off centenary commemoration
  • Likely date: late October or early November 2026 (TBC)
  • Status: not yet confirmed as permanent or one-off

The trade-off: if confirmed, 2026 would have 10 public holidays – tying the record with Northern Ireland’s typical count. The implication for workers is an additional long weekend in autumn, which traditionally has only the October Bank Holiday.

What to watch: The government’s 2026 decision will determine whether Ireland’s holiday count stays at nine or moves to ten. Workers should monitor announcements from the Oireachtas later in 2025.

How many bank holidays are there in 2025?

There are nine bank holidays in the Republic of Ireland in 2025. All nine are designated as public holidays and as bank holidays under Irish law. Northern Ireland has a different set (10 in 2025), reflecting the separate holiday calendar in the UK.

Nine holidays, one pattern: the majority (six) fall on Mondays, creating automatic long weekends. The exceptions are New Year’s Day (Wednesday), Christmas Day (Thursday), and St. Stephen’s Day (Friday) – which still gives a two-day December break but not a full long weekend.

What is the difference between a holiday and a bank holiday?

In Ireland, “bank holiday” is a colloquial term for most public holidays. All bank holidays are public holidays, but not all public holidays are technically bank holidays. Easter Monday, for example, is a public holiday but in some definitions it is not a “bank holiday” – though in practice, banks and most businesses close for it.

Three rows, one distinction: public holidays are set by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, while bank holidays historically derived from days when banks physically closed. Today, the terms are used interchangeably by most people. The legal difference matters for employment rights: employees are entitled to paid leave on all public holidays, whether or not they are called bank holidays (Citizens Information – Public Holidays Guide).

What to watch

The practical difference for most workers is zero: all nine public holidays in 2025 are treated as days off. The real distinction is for retailers and certain service industries, where Sunday and public holiday opening rules differ.

What is the next bank holiday weekend in Ireland?

Assuming publication in early 2025, the next bank holiday after St. Brigid’s Day (3 February) is St. Patrick’s Day – 17 March 2025, which conveniently falls on a Monday. That gives Irish residents a three-day weekend immediately after the February break.

To confirm whether any given Monday is a bank holiday, check the official government list – but the rule of thumb is: the first Monday in May, June, and August, plus the last Monday in October, are always bank holidays. St. Patrick’s Day and St. Brigid’s Day shift to Monday if they fall on a weekend in some cases, but in 2025 both land on a Monday already.

Bottom line: Ireland’s 2025 holiday calendar is set and stable, with nine public holidays including the now-permanent St. Brigid’s Day. Workers planning time off should target the six Monday-based holidays for long weekends. The 2026 extra holiday is still under discussion – check back later in 2025 for confirmation.
Additional sources

thedublinevents.com, flair.hr, 11holidays.com, time.is

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Frequently asked questions

Are banks closed on all public holidays in Ireland?

In practice, yes – most banks close on all nine public holidays. The term “bank holiday” originated from days when banks were legally closed, but today it refers broadly to any public holiday.

What happens if a bank holiday falls on a weekend?

If a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is usually treated as the holiday. This applies to fixed-date holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and St. Brigid’s Day.

Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Ireland?

Easter Monday is a public holiday in Ireland. While some sources distinguish it as a “public holiday” rather than a “bank holiday,” in practice banks and most workplaces close.

Do schools close on bank holidays?

Yes, schools in Ireland close on all public holidays. The school calendar typically reflects the nine public holidays plus additional mid-term breaks.

Are there differences between bank holidays in ROI and Northern Ireland?

Yes – Northern Ireland follows the UK holiday calendar and has 10 public holidays in 2025, including Boxing Day (which is St. Stephen’s Day in ROI) and additional holidays like the Battle of the Boyne (12 July).

Is St. Stephen’s Day a bank holiday?

Yes – St. Stephen’s Day (26 December) is a bank holiday in Ireland, equivalent to Boxing Day in the UK.

How do I confirm if next Monday is a bank holiday?

Check the official Irish government list or the Citizens Information website. The rule: first Monday in May, June, August, last Monday in October, plus fixed dates (1 Jan, 3 Feb, 17 Mar, 25 Dec, 26 Dec).