What Are The Public Holidays in Ireland in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Ireland (2026)

In Ireland, there are 11 public holidays in 2026 that trigger specific pay and time off entitlements for qualifying employees. Use this table to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Irish team.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Irish law requires employers to provide a public holiday benefit to qualifying employees, which can be paid time off on the day, an additional paid day off, an additional day’s pay, or paid time off within a month of the holiday. The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out these entitlements and applies nationwide, with no regional differences.

Most full-time employees automatically qualify for public holiday benefits from their first day of employment. Part-time employees qualify if they have worked at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday. Where a public holiday falls on a day an employee does not normally work, they are generally entitled to one-fifth of their normal weekly pay.

If your business requires employees to work on a public holiday, you must still provide the public holiday benefit. Many employers choose to give an additional day’s pay or a paid day off in lieu, but you should confirm the specific arrangement in the contract or policy, as long as it meets or exceeds the statutory minimum.

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, Irish practice is that the public holiday is still the calendar date, but the paid day off is usually given on the nearest working day, often the following Monday. You should clearly communicate observed days to your team and align them with your payroll and scheduling systems.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to provide correct public holiday entitlements can lead to claims before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Employees can bring complaints if they believe they have not received the correct public holiday pay or time off, and the WRC can order you to pay compensation and arrears of wages.

Non-compliance can also expose your company to inspections and enforcement by the WRC, reputational damage, and potential follow-on claims for unlawful deductions from wages. While fines are typically linked to specific breaches of employment law, repeated or deliberate non-compliance can significantly increase your risk profile in Ireland.

Common employer mistakes include treating Good Friday as a statutory public holiday when it is not, failing to track part-time hours to determine eligibility, miscalculating one-fifth of normal weekly pay, and not providing a substitute day or additional pay when employees work on a public holiday. Keeping accurate time and pay records and documenting your public holiday policy is essential.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Irish law does not set a single nationwide overtime premium rate, but public holidays interact with working time and pay in important ways. Public holiday pay is calculated based on an employee’s normal pay, and any overtime worked on a public holiday is usually paid according to the contract or collective agreement, on top of the statutory public holiday benefit.

If an employee works on a public holiday, you must still ensure that their average weekly working hours do not exceed the statutory limits and that daily and weekly rest periods are respected. Where contracts or policies promise premium rates for public holiday work (for example, time and a half or double time), those commitments become enforceable terms in addition to the statutory public holiday entitlement.

To stay compliant, you should clearly separate public holiday pay from overtime pay in your payroll system, define premium rates in contracts, and monitor hours so that additional public holiday shifts do not push employees beyond working time limits without appropriate rest and compensation.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Ireland's public holidays and leave rules doesn’t have to be complex. Playroll keeps you 100% compliant by automatically tracking local holidays, observed days, and pay requirements –  so your team is paid correctly and on time, every time.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, Playroll lets you employ talent without setting up a local entity. We handle compliant contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform, so you can reduce compliance risk and focus on growing your business while we take care of the heavy-lifting in the background. Book a chat with our team to get started.