Irish people warned as government makes change to St Stephen's Day bank holiday

Irish people are being informed about a change to the St Stephen's Day bank holiday next year in 2026 when it falls on a Saturday.

There are 10 public holidays in Ireland each year and 2026 is no different with the first Bank Holiday being New Year's Day. The number of Bank Holidays increased from 9 to 10 in 2023 with the introduction of St Brigid's Day.

Since 2023, there has been a new annual public holiday in early February to mark St Brigid’s Day. The public holiday is the first Monday in February, except where St Brigid’s Day (1 February) happens to fall on a Friday, in which case Friday 1 February will be a public holiday.

On a public holiday, sometimes called a bank holiday, most businesses and schools close. Other services (for example, public transport) still operate but often have restricted schedules. Public holidays are:

New Year's Day (1 January)
First Monday in February, or 1 February if the date falls on a Friday
Saint Patrick's Day (17 March)
Easter Monday
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)

READ NEXT: Electricity bills to rise to pay for estimated €19 billion national grid revamp

However, with St Stephen's Day falling on a Saturday in 2026, the bank holiday will be observed on Monday, December 28.

In 2026, the Bank Holidays are:

January 1

February 2

March 17

April 6

May 4

June 1

August 3

October 26

December 25

December 26 (observed Dec 28)

Despite a common misconception, Good Friday is not a public holiday. While some schools and businesses close on that day, you have no automatic entitlement to time off work on that day.

How is the date of Easter Monday set each year?

Easter Monday is the only public holiday that can vary significantly from year to year. The date of Easter moves every year.

Easter should be the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after 21 March. This means the earliest possible date for Easter Sunday in any year is 22 March, and the latest is 25 April.

Easter Monday falls on 21 April 2025 and 6 April 2026. You can find out more information on entitlements, etc on the Citizens Information website.