Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2026
There are 10 bank holidays in Northern Ireland in 2026.
Next bank holiday: Friday 25 December (Christmas Day)
10 bank holidays in 2026
| Date | Day | 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 Day Next | |
| Monday | Boxing Day Substitute day |
Planning leave for staff in Northern Ireland?
OfficeSimplify adds Northern Ireland's bank holidays, including St Patrick's Day and the Twelfth, to your team's calendar. When someone books leave, it counts the right working days, taking bank holidays into account the way you've set them up.
How the UK nations differ in 2026
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have New Year's Day, Good Friday, the early May bank holiday, the spring bank holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The table shows where they differ.
| Holiday | England & Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd January | – | – | |
| St Patrick's Day | – | – | |
| Easter Monday | – | ||
| World Cup bank holiday | – | – | |
| Battle of the Boyne | – | – | |
| Summer bank holiday | |||
| St Andrew's Day | – | – | |
| Total | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Staff in more than one UK nation? OfficeSimplify gives each office the right bank holidays for where it is, so everyone in a team split between Northern Ireland and England sees their own days off.
Try it free for 30 daysSt Patrick's Day and the Twelfth
Northern Ireland has two bank holidays the rest of the UK doesn't: St Patrick's Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) on 12 July.
St Patrick's Day is listed in the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday 17 March.
The Battle of the Boyne holiday is declared each year by royal proclamation. When 12 July falls on a weekend it moves to the following Monday. In 2026, 12 July is a Sunday, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 13 July.
Otherwise Northern Ireland follows England and Wales, including Easter Monday and the late-August summer bank holiday.
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Bank holiday questions
When is Easter 2026 in Northern Ireland?
Easter Sunday was 5 April 2026. Easter Sunday isn't a bank holiday, but Good Friday (Friday 3 April 2026) and Easter Monday (Monday 6 April 2026) were.
When are the May bank holidays in 2026 in Northern Ireland?
The early May bank holiday was Monday 4 May 2026 and the spring bank holiday was Monday 25 May 2026, across the UK.
When is the August bank holiday 2026 in Northern Ireland?
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the summer bank holiday was Monday 31 August 2026, the last Monday in August. In Scotland the summer bank holiday was Monday 3 August 2026, the first Monday in August.
When is the St Patrick's Day bank holiday in 2026?
The St Patrick's Day bank holiday in Northern Ireland was Tuesday 17 March 2026.
When is the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) bank holiday in 2026?
12 July 2026 was a Sunday, so the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) bank holiday in Northern Ireland moved to Monday 13 July 2026.
When are the Christmas bank holidays in 2026 in Northern Ireland?
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so the Christmas bank holidays are Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026 and Monday 28 December 2026, across the UK.
How are bank holidays in Northern Ireland different from England and Wales?
Northern Ireland has 10 bank holidays in 2026 and England and Wales has 8. Compared with England and Wales, Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day).
What are UK bank holidays?
Bank holidays are public holidays in the UK, when banks and many workplaces close. In England and Wales there are usually 8 bank holidays a year, in Scotland 9 and in Northern Ireland 10. The government sometimes adds one for a special event, such as a coronation or a jubilee.
Do employers have to give bank holidays off?
No. In the UK there's no legal right to time off on bank holidays. Full-time staff are entitled to 28 days' paid annual leave, and employers can count bank holidays as part of it or give them on top. What matters is that everyone gets their full 28 days, or the pro-rata equivalent for part-time staff.
How are bank holidays calculated for part-time staff?
Part-time staff have no legal right to bank holidays off, and neither do full-time staff. But the Part-Time Workers Regulations say part-time staff mustn't be treated less favourably. So if full-time staff get bank holidays on top of their annual leave, part-time staff should get a pro-rata share. Someone working 3 days a week would get 3/5 of them: 4.8 days out of 8 in England and Wales. That applies whether or not they usually work on the days the bank holidays fall.
Do bank holidays count towards annual leave?
It depends on the employment contract. Many employers give bank holidays on top of annual leave, and some include them in it. A contract that says "20 days plus bank holidays" gives them on top. One that says "28 days including bank holidays" counts them as part of the 28.
Do shift workers get extra pay for working a bank holiday?
Not by law in the UK. Staff who work a bank holiday get their normal pay unless their contract says otherwise. Many employers pay time-and-a-half or give a day off in lieu.
Works in Slack and Microsoft Teams
Handle bank holidays and leave where your team already works
- Loads Northern Ireland's bank holidays for your offices there, and the right ones for every other office
- Counts the right working days for each person, taking bank holidays into account the way you've set them up
- Shows who's already off, so you can spot clashes before approving leave
- Staff request leave and managers approve it in Microsoft Teams or Slack, as well as on the web