A quirk could mean a bonus substitute benefit for many workers this festive season
The dates of bank holidays regularly change for different reasons (Image: Getty)
Ireland’s next bank holiday arrives tomorrow, 1 June, offering many workers a much-needed day off.
It is one of 10 public holidays scheduled for 2026, and the complete list serves as a useful reference for anyone mapping out trips, family occasions or a well-deserved rest.
Under the Organisation of Working Time Act, the majority of employees are entitled to paid leave on bank holidays.
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To date, half of Ireland’s public holidays have already come and gone. Following tomorrow’s June bank holiday, there will be additional breaks in August and October, before the year draws to a close with Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day in December.
One particularly interesting quirk for 2026 arises at the tail end of the year. St Stephen’s Day falls on a Saturday, which means most workers will be entitled to a substitute benefit – essentially an extra day off – to make up for it coinciding with a weekend, reports the Irish Mirror.
According to Citizen’s Information: “If the public holiday falls on a day which is not a normal working day for that business (for example, on Saturday or Sunday), you are still entitled to benefit for that public holiday. However, you do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work.”
The Irish Government has confirmed that employers must provide one of the following options:
This bank holiday quirk means a great many workers throughout Ireland could enjoy a bonus break during the festive period this year.
It will prove even more significant in 2027, when both Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day land on the weekend.
In several instances, employees could be granted two additional days off on 27 and 28 December, essentially forming a four-day extended weekend immediately following the Christmas period.
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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