How many public holidays does Ireland have?

Ireland has 10 public holidays: New Year's Day, St Brigid's Day (first Monday in February, or February 1 if a Friday), St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, May Day, June Bank Holiday, August Bank Holiday, October Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day.

What is St Brigid's Day and when did it become a public holiday?

St Brigid's Day became Ireland's 10th public holiday in 2023. If February 1 falls on a Friday, that Friday is the public holiday; otherwise, the first Monday of February is observed.

Which is the best period to take annual leave in Ireland?

Easter remains the strongest opportunity — with Good Friday (widely observed) and Easter Monday giving a head start, 2–3 days of leave can create a 9–10 day break. The Christmas–St Stephen's Day period is also very popular.

Can I use PocketLeave for Ireland?

Yes. PocketLeave supports Ireland and fetches live, official public holiday data from the Nager.Date API. Select Ireland in the calculator to get your personalised leave plan with all opportunities ranked by ROI.

What does leave ROI mean?

Leave ROI (return on investment) is the ratio of total consecutive days off to annual leave days required to achieve that break. A 3× ROI means taking 1 day of leave gives you 3 days off in total.

Annual Leave Calculator Ireland 2026 — Maximise Your Days Off

In Ireland in 2026, the best annual leave opportunity is New Year's Day Break (1 January – 4 January), where just 1 leave day delivers 4 consecutive days off — a 4.0× ROI. There are 11 public holidays in Ireland in 2026, with Saint Patrick's Day Break and Good Friday & Easter Monday Bridge also offering strong returns.

Ireland has 10 public holidays per year, including the unique St Brigid's Day introduced in 2023 and the August Bank Holiday on the first Monday of August. With Ireland's statutory minimum of 4 weeks annual leave, workers can leverage these holidays for extended breaks throughout the year. Use PocketLeave to calculate your best leave opportunities for 2026 and get the most out of every day off.

Top 3 Leave Opportunities in 2026

4.0× ROI

New Year's Day Break

1 Jan – 4 Jan

Use 1d leaveGet 4 days off

4.0× ROI

Saint Patrick's Day Break

14 Mar – 17 Mar

Use 1d leaveGet 4 days off

2.5× ROI

Good Friday & Easter Monday Bridge

28 Mar – 6 Apr

Use 4d leaveGet 10 days off

Ireland Public Holidays 2026

Date	Holiday	Day
1 Jan 2026	New Year's Day	Thursday
2 Feb 2026	Saint Brigid's Day	Monday
17 Mar 2026	Saint Patrick's Day	Tuesday
3 Apr 2026	Good Friday	Friday
6 Apr 2026	Easter Monday	Monday
4 May 2026	May Day	Monday
1 Jun 2026	June Holiday	Monday
3 Aug 2026	August Holiday	Monday
26 Oct 2026	October Holiday	Monday
25 Dec 2026	Christmas Day	Friday
26 Dec 2026	St. Stephen's Day	Saturday

Frequently Asked Questions — Ireland

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Enter your leave balance and let PocketLeave find every high-ROI break in the 2026 calendar for Ireland.

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Best Days to Take Annual Leave in Ireland 2026