Ireland public holidays and festivals: dates and closures

Ireland observes ten public holidays each year. Four fall on fixed dates; the rest are Mondays, so long weekends are predictable. Dates below are for 2026; confirm against the official Workplace Relations Commission calendar before booking.

On a public holiday, banks, schools, government offices and many professional services close. Small rural shops, post offices and some pharmacies may also shut or run shorter hours. In cities, most pubs, restaurants, cafés, hotels and visitor attractions stay open, and public transport runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

St Patrick's Day is the exception to the usual pattern. In Dublin and other cities, parades and crowds mean roads close, buses are diverted and pubs fill early. Book accommodation and intercity transport well ahead for 17 March and the August bank holiday weekend, when domestic travel peaks.

Christmas Day is the one day when almost everything shuts: public transport, shops, pubs and most restaurants. St Stephen's Day brings a partial reopening, with many pubs and some shops trading again.

St Patrick's Day (17 March) is the biggest date in the Irish calendar. Dublin's parade and festival run over several days, with smaller parades in Cork, Galway, Limerick and most towns. Expect high hotel prices and packed pubs in Dublin; smaller towns offer a calmer version.

Galway hosts a strong summer festival season, including arts, film and music events from spring through autumn, which makes it a good base for the west. Dublin's theatre, music and literary festivals cluster in late spring and autumn. Trad music sessions run year-round in Galway, Dingle and Doolin, so you do not need a festival date to hear live music.

The October bank holiday weekend coincides with the Dublin Marathon, filling the city's hotels. The August bank holiday is the busiest domestic travel weekend of the year, so book coastal accommodation early.

If your trip overlaps a public holiday, treat it as a normal travel day in the cities but book transport and beds early. Trains between Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast sell out on long weekends, and car rental is tightest in July and August.

For St Patrick's Day, decide early whether you want the Dublin parade experience or a smaller town. Dublin gives the biggest event but the highest prices; Galway, Cork or Kilkenny give parades with more space. Either way, reserve accommodation months ahead.

Outside holiday weekends, Ireland's travel calendar is driven by weather more than events. Late spring and early autumn give the best mix of daylight, smaller crowds and lower prices.