The Easter bank holiday weekend is underway, but pressure is growing to increase the number of days off to bring Ireland in line with the rest of the EU.
13:52, 05 Apr 2026Updated 13:53, 05 Apr 2026
People pictured enjoying the good weather at St Stephen’s Green in March 2022(Image: Stephen Collins/Collins )
Ireland’s next bank holiday falls tomorrow, April 6, giving many workers a welcome day off to celebrate Easter.
It’s one of 10 public holidays scheduled for 2026, and the full list is a handy guide for anyone planning trips, family time or a well earned rest.
Under the Organisation of Working Time Act, most employees are entitled to paid leave on bank holidays.
So far, three public holidays have already passed this year – New Year’s Day, St Brigid’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
After Easter Monday, there is a steady run of long weekends ahead, with further breaks in May and June, followed by August and October, before the year wraps up with Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day in December.
However, as the next bank holiday arrives, pressure is growing to increase the number of days off in Ireland to bring the country more in line with our EU neighbours.
The European average stands at 12 public holidays per year, and Cyprus tops the list with 15. Ireland currently sits on 10, with only Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands having fewer with nine.
Calls for change are growing, with some opposition parties urging the Government to expand Ireland’s number of bank holidays.
The Green Party has called for one extra day, while People Before Profit has called for three additional public holidays.
Ireland’s most recent addition came in 2023, when the St Brigid’s Day bank holiday was introduced, bringing the total to 10.
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman told the Irish Independent: “We have some of the highest labour productivity in the EU, workers generate the wealth our country enjoys and I think it is important the Government recognises leisure time or time they can spend with their families.
“There is definitely room there and we would look at either converting Good Friday from a public holiday into a full bank holiday because a lot of private sector workers do not get to enjoy that. The other option would be a bank holiday on the first weekend of July to allow people have some time off over the summer.”
A People Before Profit spokesman also explained their proposal, saying: “Our aspiration is to seek three additional public holidays to put us in line with the rest of the EU. These would be the first Monday in July and the last Monday in September and November.”
Full list of 2026 bank holidays
Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s DayMonday, February 2 – St Brigid’s DayTuesday, March 17 – St Patrick’s DayMonday, April 6 – Easter MondayMonday, May 4 – May Bank HolidayMonday, June 1 – June Bank HolidayMonday, August 3 – August Bank HolidayMonday, October 26 – October Bank HolidayFriday, December 25 – Christmas DaySaturday, December 26 – St Stephen’s Day
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