Northern Ireland bank holidays
Northern Ireland has ten bank holidays in a normal year, the most in the UK. It has every England and Wales date plus St Patrick's Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July.
Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2026, 10 bank holidays in 2027, 10 bank holidays in 2028.
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Tuesday | St Patrick's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day)Substitute day | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Friday | Christmas DayNext | |
| Monday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | New Year's Day | |
| Wednesday | St Patrick's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Monday | Christmas DaySubstitute day | |
| Tuesday | Boxing DaySubstitute day |
| Date | Day | Bank holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | New Year's DaySubstitute day | |
| Friday | St Patrick's Day | |
| Friday | Good Friday | |
| Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | |
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | |
| Wednesday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | |
| Monday | Christmas Day | |
| Tuesday | Boxing Day |
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.
Which months have a bank holiday this year, and which have none.
Two more than England and Wales, and one more than Scotland.
17 March is a bank holiday, normally moving to Monday when it falls on a weekend.
The Battle of the Boyne, or Orangemen's Day, is marked on 12 July.
The Republic of Ireland has its own public holidays, compared side by side below.
The two lists overlap but are not the same. If you live, work or travel across the border, check both.
| Holiday | Northern Ireland | Republic of Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (1 January) | Yes | Yes |
| St Brigid's Day (early February) | No | Yes |
| St Patrick's Day (17 March) | Yes | Yes |
| Good Friday | Yes | No |
| Easter Monday | Yes | Yes |
| First Monday in May | Yes | Yes |
| Last Monday in May | Yes | No |
| First Monday in June | No | Yes |
| Battle of the Boyne (12 July) | Yes | No |
| First Monday in August | No | Yes |
| Last Monday in August | Yes | No |
| Last Monday in October | No | Yes |
| Christmas Day (25 December) | Yes | Yes |
| Boxing Day / St Stephen's Day (26 December) | Yes | Yes |
| Total in a normal year | 10 | 10 |
The Republic of Ireland's public holidays are set by the Irish Government. Where a holiday falls on a weekend there, the day off is not moved; employees get a compensating benefit instead.
The Battle of the Boyne bank holiday is 12 July when that is a weekday. When the 12th is a Sunday it is observed on Monday 13 July, and when the 12th is a Saturday it is observed on Monday 14 July.
Many businesses also close on 13 July by custom, but it is only a bank holiday in the years it is the substitute day. The holiday is proclaimed each year by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland rather than being fixed in the 1971 Act.
St Patrick's Day honours the patron saint of Ireland and has been a bank holiday on the island since 1903. Parades and festivals run in Belfast, Derry, Armagh and Downpatrick, where the saint is said to be buried.
The Battle of the Boyne holiday commemorates the 1690 victory of William of Orange and is marked by Orange Order parades.
Bank holidays are filled in green.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
The next bank holiday in Northern Ireland is Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026.
Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2026. A normal year has ten.
No. Today is not a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
No. The coming Monday, 19 October, is not a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
St Patrick's Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July. Every other Northern Ireland bank holiday is shared with England and Wales.
Yes. In 2026 it is observed on Tuesday 17 March 2026. It is not a bank holiday in England, Wales or Scotland.
Yes. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank holidays in Northern Ireland. Good Friday is not a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland.
In Northern Ireland, yes. In 2026 it is observed on Monday 13 July 2026, a substitute day because 12 July falls on a weekend.
Only in years when 12 July is a Saturday, when the bank holiday is observed on Monday 14 July.
Yes. It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
No. The Republic of Ireland has a separate list of public holidays. Good Friday, the late May and late August bank holidays and 12 July apply only in Northern Ireland.
No. There is no statutory right to time off or extra pay on a bank holiday in Northern Ireland. Your contract sets the rule, and an employer can count bank holidays as part of the 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave.