Public holidays in Ireland are nine fixed days each year when most employees are entitled to a paid day off or compensation if they’re required to work. As an employer, you need to know which holidays apply, how to pay your team, and what happens when a holiday falls on a weekend.

Getting it wrong exposes you to Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) complaints and potential penalty payments. This guide covers every Irish public holiday in 2026, your obligations under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, and how to keep your payroll compliant.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult an employment solicitor for guidance specific to your organisation.

2026 Irish Public Holidays at a Glance

Note: St. Stephen’s Day (26 December) falls on a Saturday in 2026. Under Irish law, the next working day (Monday 28 December) may be observed as the substitute day, depending on your workplace agreement.

Which Employees Are Entitled to Public Holidays?

All employees are entitled to public holidays, regardless of their employment type. This includes:

Full-time employees — entitled to a paid day off on each public holiday
Part-time employees — entitled if they meet the qualifying conditions (typically working at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the holiday)
Temporary and fixed-term employees — same entitlements as other employees
Agency workers — entitled through the employer who engages them

You cannot exclude employees from public holiday entitlements by contract. Any contractual term that removes this right is void under Irish law.

How to Pay Employees on Public Holidays

Under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, you have several options for compensating employees on public holidays. You must choose one method and apply it consistently.

The Five Methods

A paid day off — The employee doesn’t work and receives their normal daily pay.
A paid day off within a month — If you give the employee a day off within one month of the public holiday, that satisfies the entitlement.
An additional day of annual leave — You add a day to the employee’s annual leave entitlement.
An additional day’s pay — You pay the employee an extra day’s wages for the public holiday.
A paid day off on the Church holiday closest to the public holiday — This applies only if the employee’s terms and conditions provide for it.

Most employers choose option 1 (a paid day off) or option 4 (an additional day’s pay) because they are the simplest to administer.

Calculating a Day’s Pay

A day’s pay for public holiday purposes is calculated as follows:

Salaried employees: Their normal daily rate
Hourly-paid employees: Their normal hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours they would normally work on that day
Employees with variable hours: The average daily pay over the 13 weeks before the public holiday

Example: An employee earning €50,000 per year works Monday to Friday. St. Patrick’s Day (17 March) falls on a Tuesday. Their day’s pay is €50,000 ÷ 260 working days = €192.31.

What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?

When a public holiday falls on a day the employee doesn’t normally work (Saturday or Sunday), you must still provide the benefit of the holiday. You can do this by:

Giving the employee a paid day off on the nearest working day
Paying an additional day’s pay
Adding a day to annual leave

St. Stephen’s Day 2026 falls on a Saturday. If your employees don’t normally work Saturdays, you’ll need to provide a substitute day — typically Monday 28 December — or compensate them another way.

Public Holidays and Part-Time Workers

Part-time workers are entitled to public holidays on the same basis as full-time workers, provided they meet the 40-hour threshold. If a part-time employee doesn’t qualify (because they haven’t worked enough hours), they’re still entitled to be considered for the holiday — but you’re not required to pay them if they don’t meet the threshold.

Key point: You cannot treat a part-time employee differently just because they work fewer hours. If they qualify, they get the same entitlements.

If an Employee Works on a Public Holiday

There is no legal requirement to pay extra for working on a public holiday in Ireland — unless your contract, collective agreement, or sectoral employment order specifies otherwise. However, many employers pay a premium rate (typically time-and-a-half or double time) as a goodwill measure or under employment agreements.

If an employee works on a public holiday and you don’t provide a day off or additional pay, you may face a WRC complaint. The safest approach is to provide one of the five compensation methods outlined above, regardless of whether the employee works.

Penalty Payments and WRC Complaints

If you fail to provide public holiday entitlements, an employee can file a complaint with the Workplace Relations Commission. The WRC can order you to:

Pay the outstanding entitlement
Pay compensation of up to 2 years’ remuneration
Face a financial penalty of up to €5,000 per offence

Repeat offences carry higher penalties. Keep accurate records of public holiday entitlements, days taken, and payments made.

Best Practices for Managing Public Holidays

Include public holiday entitlements in employment contracts — State clearly how you handle holidays (which of the five methods you use).
Maintain a holiday tracker — Record which holidays each employee has taken or been paid for.
Communicate in advance — Tell employees at least 2 weeks before a public holiday how it will be handled.
Check sectoral employment orders — Some sectors (construction, security, cleaning) have specific public holiday rules.
Use payroll software — Automate public holiday calculations to avoid errors.

Key Takeaways

Ireland observes 9 public holidays each year
All employees are entitled to public holiday benefits if they meet qualifying conditions
You have 5 legal methods for compensating employees — choose one and apply consistently
When a holiday falls on a weekend, you must still provide a substitute day or additional pay
Keep records of all public holiday payments and days off to defend against WRC complaints
Sectoral employment orders may impose additional requirements

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Public Holidays in Ireland 2026: Employer's Guide