Public Holidays In The Republic Of Ireland
These are the public holidays observed in Ireland. Public holidays in Ireland (as in other countries) may commemorate a special day or other event, such as Saint Patrick's Day or Christmas Day. On public holidays (sometimes also referred to as bank holidays - a colloquialism), most businesses and schools close. Other services, for example, public transport, still operate but often with reduced schedules.
The nine public holidays in Ireland each year are as follows:
| Date | English Name | Irish Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Lá Caille or Lá Bliana Nua |
Most also take time off work for New Year's Eve (Oíche Chinn Bliana). |
| 17 March | Saint Patrick's Day | Lá Fhéile Pádraig | National day. First became an official public holiday in Ireland in 1903. |
| Moveable Monday | Easter Monday | Luan Cásca | The day after Easter Sunday (Domhnach Cásca) – also coincides with the commemoration of the Easter Rising. Good Friday (Aoine an Chéasta) is not a public holiday, though all state schools and some businesses close. |
| Moveable Monday | May Day | Lá Bealtaine | The first Monday in May. First observed in 1994. |
| Moveable Monday | June Holiday | Lá Saoire i mí Mheitheamh | The first Monday in June. Previously observed as Whit Monday until 1973. |
| Moveable Monday | August Holiday | Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa | The first Monday in August. |
| Moveable Monday | October Holiday | Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair | The last Monday in October. (Lá Saoire Oíche Shamhna). First observed in 1977. |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | Lá Nollag | Most start Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve (Oíche Nollag), including taking time off work. |
| 26 December | St. Stephen's Day | Lá Fhéile Stiofáin or Lá an Dreoilín | The day after Christmas celebrating the feast day of Saint Stephen. Lá an Dreoilín translates as the Day of the Wren. |
Read more about Public Holidays In The Republic Of Ireland: History
Famous quotes containing the words public, republic and/or ireland:
“The Indian attitude toward the land was expressed by a Crow named Curly: “The soil you see is not ordinary soil—it is the dust of the blood, the flesh, and the bones of our ancestors. You will have to dig down to find Nature’s earth, for the upper portion is Crow, my blood and my dead. I do not want to give it up.””
—For the State of Montana, U.S. public relief program. Montana: A State Guide Book (The WPA Guide to Montana)
“Paper is cheap, and authors need not now erase one book before they write another. Instead of cultivating the earth for wheat and potatoes, they cultivate literature, and fill a place in the Republic of Letters. Or they would fain write for fame merely, as others actually raise crops of grain to be distilled into brandy.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Life springs from death and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations.... They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think that they have foreseen everything, think they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools, they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.”
—Patrick Henry Pearse (1879–1916)