Irish people can enjoy nine public holidays in the 2019 calendar.
But not everybody is entitled to having a day off work.
Ireland have eight more public holidays for the remainder of this year, with New Year's Day having already passed.
Schools and most businesses are generally off when a bank holiday comes around, and public transport often provide less services.
While schools and banks are both off on Good Friday, it is not a public holiday.
This will be the second year that Irish pubs can legally serve alcohol after the Seanad passed a motion in July 2017, bringing an end to 90-year prohibition.
There are four fixed bank holiday dates in Ireland every year.
The dates for New Year's Day, St Patrick's Day, Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day are public holidays every year.
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But, when St Patrick's Day falls on either a Saturday or Sunday, workers aren't guaranteed the following Monday off work.
Instead, they're entitled to a paid day off that month, an extra day of annual leave or day’s pay.
The months of May, June, August and October all have bank holidays.
Easter Monday is always a public holiday and can occur in either March or April - depending on Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates each year.
Ireland's bank holidays for 2019
- New Year’s Day – Tuesday January 1
- St Patrick’s Day – Sunday March 17
- Easter Monday – Monday April 22
- May public holiday – Monday May 6
- June public holiday – Monday June 3
- August public holiday – Monday August 5
- October public holiday – Monday October 28
- Christmas Day – Wednesday December 25
- St Stephen’s Day – Thursday December 26
Your entitlement to public holidays is set out in the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.
Most employees are entitled to paid leave on public holidays. One exception is part-time employees who have not worked for their employer at least 40 hours in total in the five weeks before the public holiday.
If you qualify for public holiday benefit you are entitled to one of the following:
- A paid day off on the public holiday
- An additional day of annual leave
- An additional day's pay
- A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
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You may ask your employer at least 21 days before a public holiday, which of the alternatives will apply.
If your employer does not respond at least 14 days before the public holiday, you are entitled to take the actual public holiday as a paid day off.
See more about your entitlements with regard to part-time employees, sick leave and losing your job here.
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