Three public holidays remain in the Republic of Ireland after 14 October 2026. The Workplace Relations Commission’s official list gives the dates below; the weekdays have been checked against the calendar. [1]

Dates to put in your diary

October public holiday — Monday, 26 October 2026.

Christmas Day — Friday, 25 December 2026.

St Stephen’s Day — Saturday, 26 December 2026.

These dates apply to the Republic’s public-holiday calendar. They should not be used as a substitute for checking Northern Ireland’s calendar or an individual school, workplace or service timetable.

Does St Stephen’s Day move to Monday?

The Saturday date is important. The WRC explains that a holiday falling on a business’s non-working day still carries a public-holiday benefit, but there is no automatic legal right to take the next working day off. [1]

Monday, 28 December should therefore not be labelled as an additional Irish public holiday simply because St Stephen’s Day falls at the weekend. Your workplace may close then, or make its own arrangements, so check the actual roster or holiday notice before planning leave.

A public holiday and a day off are different questions

The WRC lists possible benefits determined by the employer: a paid day off on the holiday, paid leave within a month, additional annual leave or additional pay. Eligibility and work patterns also matter. [1] For a question about your own arrangement, use the WRC’s full guidance and ask your employer to explain how the benefit will be provided.

Do not assume a shop, restaurant or transport service will close just because the date is a public holiday. Equally, a workplace closure does not add a new date to the national calendar.

Keep celebrations separate from the holiday list

Halloween falls on Saturday, 31 October 2026, and Christmas Eve on Thursday, 24 December. Neither appears on the WRC’s public-holiday list. [1]

For family planning, keep three notes beside each date: who is working, which services you need, and what bookings or travel arrangements you have made. Check school notices separately rather than treating the public-holiday list as a school-break calendar.

Before buying tickets or arranging a journey, check the operator’s dated schedule. The calendar tells you which day is the holiday; it does not tell you the opening hours or staffing arrangements of every service.

Sources were checked on 14 October 2026.