Bank holiday guide
Battle of the Boyne Bank Holiday (12 July)
The Battle of the Boyne, also known as Orangemen's Day or the Twelfth, is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland on 12 July. It is not a bank holiday elsewhere in the UK.
Next Battle of the Boyne bank holiday
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Then Wednesday 12 July 2028.
The short answer
Yes in Northern Ireland. No in England, Wales and Scotland.
Is the bank holiday on 12, 13 or 14 July?
It is on 12 July when that is a weekday. When 12 July is a Sunday, the bank holiday is Monday 13 July. When 12 July is a Saturday, it is Monday 14 July.
The table below shows which applies in each of the next ten years.
Battle of the Boyne bank holiday dates 2027 to 2036
Upcoming dates for the next ten years. Select a year for every bank holiday in it.
| Year | Bank holiday date |
|---|---|
| 2027 | |
| 2028 | |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2031 | Substitute day |
| 2032 | |
| 2033 | |
| 2034 | |
| 2035 | |
| 2036 | Substitute day |
Show every Battle of the Boyne date from 1971 to 2050
| Year | Bank holiday date |
|---|---|
| 1971 | |
| 1972 | |
| 1973 | |
| 1974 | |
| 1975 | Substitute day |
| 1976 | |
| 1977 | |
| 1978 | |
| 1979 | |
| 1980 | Substitute day |
| 1981 | Substitute day |
| 1982 | |
| 1983 | |
| 1984 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1986 | Substitute day |
| 1987 | Substitute day |
| 1988 | |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | Substitute day |
| 1993 | |
| 1994 | |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | Substitute day |
| 1998 | Substitute day |
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | Substitute day |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | Substitute day |
| 2009 | Substitute day |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | Substitute day |
| 2015 | Substitute day |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | Substitute day |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2025 | Substitute day |
| 2026 | Substitute day |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 | |
| 2029 | |
| 2030 | |
| 2031 | Substitute day |
| 2032 | |
| 2033 | |
| 2034 | |
| 2035 | |
| 2036 | Substitute day |
| 2037 | Substitute day |
| 2038 | |
| 2039 | |
| 2040 | |
| 2041 | |
| 2042 | Substitute day |
| 2043 | Substitute day |
| 2044 | |
| 2045 | |
| 2046 | |
| 2047 | |
| 2048 | Substitute day |
| 2049 | |
| 2050 |
Dates follow the official GOV.UK bank holiday list where published. Later years are calculated from the statutory rules and can change if a holiday is added or moved by royal proclamation.
Is there a July bank holiday in England, Scotland or Wales?
No. 12 July is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland only. In the rest of the UK there is no bank holiday in June or July: after the late May bank holiday the next is in August.
How the 12 July holiday is set
Unlike most bank holidays it is not listed in the 1971 Act. It is proclaimed each year by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
What the day commemorates
The holiday marks the victory of the Protestant King William III over the Catholic King James II at the River Boyne in 1690. The battle was fought on 1 July in the old calendar; the commemoration settled on 12 July.
The Eleventh Night, the Twelfth and the Thirteenth
Bonfires are lit on the evening of 11 July, known as the Eleventh Night. On the Twelfth, Orange Order lodges parade with bands across Northern Ireland; when the date is a Sunday the parades are held on the Monday.
Many businesses also close on 13 July and for the surrounding fortnight, though only the Twelfth is a bank holiday. Expect bank and office closures, road closures around parade routes and holiday timetables on public transport.
Battle of the Boyne: questions
Is the 12th of July a bank holiday?
In Northern Ireland, yes. In 2027 it is observed on Monday 12 July 2027.
Is 12th July a bank holiday in England?
No. It applies only in Northern Ireland. England, Wales and Scotland work as normal.
Is 13 July a bank holiday in Northern Ireland?
Only when 12 July falls on a Sunday. Otherwise 13 July is a customary day off for many firms but not a bank holiday.
Is 14 July a bank holiday in Northern Ireland?
Only when 12 July falls on a Saturday, in which case the bank holiday is observed on Monday 14 July.
Is the 12th of July a bank holiday in the Republic of Ireland?
No. It is not a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland.
Why is there no bank holiday in July?
Outside Northern Ireland the calendar simply has none between the late May bank holiday and August. Scotland's summer bank holiday comes first, on the first Monday in August.
When is the Eleventh Night?
The evening of 11 July, when bonfires are lit ahead of the Twelfth.
What is Orangemen's Day?
Another name for the Battle of the Boyne holiday on 12 July, after the Orange Order which organises the parades.
Are benefits paid on the 12th July bank holiday?
If a benefit or State Pension payment is due on a bank holiday, it is usually paid on the working day before. Child Benefit and some Scottish and Northern Irish payments follow their own published dates.
Do I get 12 July off work?
Only if your contract says so. A bank holiday gives no automatic right to time off or extra pay, and employers can count it as part of your 5.6 weeks of statutory annual leave.