Reference Guide

Ireland Working Day Rules, Public Holidays & Court Deadlines Guide

Q: How do I count 'clear days' versus ordinary days?

Ordinary days exclude the first day but include the last. Clear days exclude both the first AND last day. Always check your court order—if it doesn't say 'clear days,' use the standard counting method.

Q: What's the difference between Superior, Circuit, and District Court time rules?

The main difference is in the currently modelled short-period rules. Superior Courts exclude Christmas Day and Good Friday for periods under 6 days, Circuit Court excludes only Saturday and Sunday, and District Court is currently modelled as calendar-day counting with closed-day rollover.

Q: When does the short period exception apply?

In the currently modelled rule set, the short period exception applies to Superior Courts and Circuit Court when the deadline is less than 6 days. District Court is currently treated as a calendar-day baseline unless a clearer source-backed short-period rule is identified.

Q: What happens if my deadline falls on a public holiday?

The deadline automatically extends to the next business day. This applies to all 10 Irish public holidays, plus weekends.

Q: How are working days counted in Irish contracts?

Unless your contract specifies "calendar days," you exclude weekends and public holidays. Count only Monday through Friday, excluding Ireland's 10 public holidays. Always clarify in your contract whether you mean "business days" or "calendar days."

Q: What happens if a deadline falls on a public holiday?

In most contracts, if a deadline falls on a public holiday or weekend, you have until the next business day. However, this depends on your specific contract language. To avoid disputes, specify: 'Deadline is 30 business days, and if the deadline falls on a weekend or Irish public holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day.'

Practical Ireland guide to working-day rules, court time counting, and conveyancing deadlines. Use the calculator for live dates, and use this page to understand the rule sets behind the results. For real-world scenarios, visit Use Cases. For deep dives and edge cases, browse Articles.

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This guide covers Ireland's public holidays, Irish court time rules, business deadlines, property law, and court vacation periods. Click any section to jump to it.

How notice and deadline roles are counted

Notice (backward): Event/hearing date is excluded; notice deadline is included.
Deadline (forward): Action/service date is excluded; deadline/event date is included.
The calculator shows these include/exclude flags on the timeline, exports, and analysis rows.

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Jump straight to the topic you need

The full reference is still available, but you do not need to read it top to bottom. Open the topic that matches your question.

Public Holidays

Start here for Irish public holiday assumptions before moving into court or contract-specific rules.

Courts

Use these sections when the answer depends on court time calculation or vacation periods.

Business & Property

Open these sections for contract wording, commercial deadlines, and property transactions.

Public Holidays

Irish Public Holidays Overview

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•10 public holidays every year with no regional split
•4 fixed-date holidays + 5 Monday-rule bank holidays + Easter Monday
•St. Brigid's Day follows a special February Friday rule
•Good Friday is not statutory but still matters in some sectors

Ireland has 10 national public holidays and no regional holiday split. The practical questions are how the Monday-rule holidays are set, how St. Brigid's Day works, how Good Friday differs by sector, and what benefit an employee receives when a fixed-date holiday lands on a weekend.

Fixed-date holidays

New Year's Day
St. Patrick's Day
Christmas Day
St. Stephen's Day

Monday-rule holidays

May, June, and August: first Monday.
October: last Monday.
St. Brigid's Day: first Monday in February unless 1 February is a Friday.

Moveable holiday

Easter Monday is the only moveable public holiday.
Its date changes each year with Easter.

Weekend treatment

Fixed-date holidays stay on their calendar date.
The entitlement is a compensating benefit, not an automatic Monday substitute.
Monday-rule bank holidays do not have the same weekend problem.

Good Friday is sector-specific

Good Friday is not a statutory public holiday under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, but it still matters in banking, property, and legal practice.

Employment: no automatic statutory day off, though many employers treat it as a paid holiday by custom.
Banking: banks close, so payments can back up until after Easter Monday.
Property and legal: contract and court rules can treat it as a non-working day.

View 2026 holiday dates and the St. Brigid's Day rule

Holiday	2026 date
New Year's Day	1 Jan 2026
St. Brigid's Day	2 Feb 2026
St. Patrick's Day	17 Mar 2026
Easter Monday	6 Apr 2026
May Day	4 May 2026
June Bank Holiday	1 Jun 2026
August Bank Holiday	3 Aug 2026
October Bank Holiday	26 Oct 2026
Christmas Day	25 Dec 2026
St. Stephen's Day	26 Dec 2026

St. Brigid's Day rule

In most years the holiday is the first Monday in February. The exception is when 1 February falls on a Friday, in which case 1 February itself is the public holiday.

View weekend entitlement and observance notes

If a fixed-date holiday falls on a weekend

The holiday is still observed on that date.
An eligible employee may receive a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day's pay.
The exact benefit depends on eligibility and contract terms.

Business and court observance

Government offices, banks, and courts close on public holidays.
Transport and essential services often run reduced schedules.
Emergency or vacation-judge functions may still operate in limited court settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

If your employment contract requires you to work public holidays (e.g., retail, healthcare), you're entitled to either an additional day off or extra pay. Check your employment contract or collective agreement for specifics.

Yes. Unlike some countries with regional holidays, Ireland has uniform public holidays nationwide. There are no regional or county-specific public holidays.

St. Brigid's Day became a public holiday in 2023. It replaced the generic 'first Monday in February' bank holiday. St. Brigid is one of Ireland's three patron saints and represents Irish cultural heritage.

You'll get 10 public holidays in 2025. Note that New Year's Day (1 January) falls on a Wednesday in 2025, so there's no substitute day off. All bank holidays fall on Mondays as scheduled.

Related Resources

Citizens Information - Public Holidays

Official guide to public holidays and statutory entitlements

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Irish government employment resources

Organisation of Working Time Act 1997

Official Irish legislation covering holidays and working time

Residential Tenancies Board

Information on public holidays and tenant rights

Court Rules

Court Time Rules Quick Reference

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•Standard counting: exclude first day, include last day
•Superior Courts: short periods (<6 days) exclude weekends + Christmas Day + Good Friday
•Circuit Court excludes only Sat/Sun for short periods
•District Court is currently modelled as calendar-day counting with closed-day rollover

Standard Day Counting

"The same shall be reckoned exclusively of the first day and inclusively of the last day."

Exclude the first day (the day the period starts)
Include the last day (the day the period ends)

Example: 7 days from Monday = deadline is midnight the following Monday.

Short Period Exception (<6 Days)

When a time period is less than 6 days, additional days are excluded:

Superior Courts

Exclude: Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday

Circuit Court

Exclude: Saturday, Sunday only

District Court

Currently modelled as calendar-day counting with rollover when the deadline lands on a day the office is closed.

"Clear Days" vs. Standard Days

Standard Days (default)

First day: EXCLUDED
Last day: INCLUDED
Example: "4 days from Monday" = Friday deadline

Clear Days

First day: EXCLUDED
Last day: EXCLUDED
Example: "4 clear days from Monday" = Saturday deadline

Calculator tip: Use the Clear days toggle only when the order explicitly says "clear days."

Calculator boundary: Work out the legally correct trigger date first, then use the calculator to count from that date. This guide does not try to automate deemed service or other trigger-date rules.

Court Level Comparison

Rule	Superior Courts	Circuit Court	District Court
Standard counting	Exclude first, include last	Exclude first, include last	Exclude first, include last
Short period threshold	< 6 days	< 6 days	Not currently modelled as a short-period rule
Short period exclusions	Sat, Sun, Xmas, Good Fri	Sat, Sun only	Calendar days in the currently modelled rule set
Closed day rollover	To next open day	To next open day	To next open day

August & Long Vacation: Pleading deadlines pause during August. For details on vacation periods and urgent applications, see the Court Vacation guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ordinary days exclude the first day but include the last. Clear days exclude both the first AND last day. Always check your court order—if it doesn't say 'clear days,' use the standard counting method.

The main difference is in the currently modelled short-period rules. Superior Courts exclude Christmas Day and Good Friday for periods under 6 days, Circuit Court excludes only Saturday and Sunday, and District Court is currently modelled as calendar-day counting with closed-day rollover.

In the currently modelled rule set, the short period exception applies to Superior Courts and Circuit Court when the deadline is less than 6 days. District Court is currently treated as a calendar-day baseline unless a clearer source-backed short-period rule is identified.

The deadline automatically extends to the next business day. This applies to all 10 Irish public holidays, plus weekends.

Related Resources

Courts Service of Ireland - Time Rules

Official rules governing time calculations in Irish courts

Irish Statute Book - RSC Order 122

Full text of the Rules of the Superior Courts Order 122

Law Society of Ireland

Professional guidance and practice notes on time calculation

Topic

Business Days in Commercial Contracts

How Irish contracts use business-day language and where parties can depart from default counting assumptions.

Business Contracts

Business Days in Commercial Contracts

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•"Business day" = Monday-Friday excluding public holidays
•Late payment interest runs at 8% above the ECB reference rate
•B2B terms over 60 days must be expressly agreed and cannot be grossly unfair
•Public authorities generally remain on a 30-day payment baseline

Use this section when an Irish commercial contract, invoice, or notice period refers to business days. The practical questions are usually the trigger date, whether statutory late-payment rules override the contract, and whether banking closures will delay settlement even if the contractual deadline has technically arrived.

Calculator tip: use the Business Context selector where Good Friday treatment differs by sector, and apply CIF shutdown periods only where the contract actually incorporates those construction-industry shutdown periods.

Business day baseline

Monday to Friday.
Exclude Irish public holidays.
Saturday and Sunday are non-business days unless the contract changes that rule.

Notice drafting check

Say calendar days or business days expressly.
Define the trigger: invoice date, service, receipt, or delivery.
State whether the trigger day itself counts.

Late-payment guardrails

No agreed term: a 30-day baseline is the safer starting point.
B2B terms over 60 days must be express and not grossly unfair.
Public-authority terms are generally limited to 30 days.

Settlement caveat

SEPA settlement can differ from Irish public-holiday timing.
Target2 closures can delay euro transfers on an otherwise normal Irish banking day.
Build extra buffer around May 1 and Easter clusters.

What usually causes the dispute

The real problem is often not the phrase business day by itself. It is the missing detail around the trigger date, the payment mechanism, or the statutory rules that override a loosely drafted clause.

The safest drafting pattern is to define the period, the trigger, and the settlement method in the same clause.

View payment-term rules, interest, and recovery costs

If the contract says nothing

Late-payment consequences usually start after 30 days.
The start point is commonly invoice date or delivery, depending on the arrangement.

Business-to-business

Terms over 60 days must be expressly agreed.
They cannot be grossly unfair to the supplier.
If the clause is weak, the 30-day baseline is the safer assumption.

Business-to-public authority

Payment terms are generally limited to 30 days.
Longer periods need a recognised exception.
The statutory framework matters more than local custom wording.

Interest and compensation

Interest runs at 8 percentage points above the ECB reference rate.
It accrues daily on the overdue sum.
Fixed recovery compensation bands are €40, €70, and €100.

View common notice periods and settlement examples

Common notice periods

14 days: short operational notices.
30 days: standard contract or service changes.
60-90 days: significant commercial restructures.

Target2 example

May 1 can be an ordinary Irish banking day but still be a Target2 closure day. A euro payment due for same-day settlement may not clear until the next open Target2 day.

Drafting checklist

Define the trigger event.
Say calendar or business days explicitly.
State the payment method and cut-off assumptions.
Address disputes and late-payment consequences in the clause.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unless your contract specifies "calendar days," you exclude weekends and public holidays. Count only Monday through Friday, excluding Ireland's 10 public holidays. Always clarify in your contract whether you mean "business days" or "calendar days."

In most contracts, if a deadline falls on a public holiday or weekend, you have until the next business day. However, this depends on your specific contract language. To avoid disputes, specify: 'Deadline is 30 business days, and if the deadline falls on a weekend or Irish public holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day.'

If there's no contract, late payment interest kicks in after 30 days (from invoice receipt/delivery). For B2B contracts: terms over 60 days must be expressly agreed and cannot be grossly unfair to the supplier. For public authorities: payment terms generally cannot exceed 30 days in the normal case.

Yes. Under Irish/EU law, if payment is late, you're automatically entitled to 8 percentage points above the ECB reference rate (currently 10.15%). You can also charge fixed compensation for recovery costs based on the invoice value. Your contract can reference this statutory right or specify your own terms.

Related Resources

S.I. No. 580/2012 - Late Payment Regulations

Full text of Irish late payment legislation

DETE - Late Payments Guidance

Official government guidance on late payment rules

Citizens Information - Business Contracts

General guidance on commercial contracts in Ireland

Companies Registration Office

Business registration and compliance information

Topic

Property & Conveyancing Deadlines

Property and conveyancing deadlines where holidays, contracts, and practical completion windows all matter.

Property Law

Conveyancing Deadlines & Working Days

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•5-day requisitions window: calculated in working days (miss it and issues are permanently waived)
•Working days exclude: weekends, public holidays, and 26 Dec – 1 Jan under the standard definition
•Notice to Complete: typically 28 calendar days (check your contract)
•Stamp duty: 30-day statutory deadline from execution (Revenue's practical surcharge window is 44 days)

Calculating working days for Irish conveyancing deadlines

Law Society "Working Day" Definition

"Working Day" means any day from Monday to Friday (inclusive), which is not Christmas Day, a statutory public holiday, or any of the seven days immediately succeeding Christmas Day.

This is the standard Law Society baseline. Good Friday is not explicitly excluded by that wording, so only treat it as a non-working day if your contract adds it or you are deliberately modelling that practice.

Select LSI conveyancing shutdown (26 Dec – 1 Jan) in the calculator when your deadline crosses Christmas.

The 5-Day Requisitions Window

After contracts are signed and the seller provides title documents and replies to requisitions, you have exactly 5 working days to raise any follow-up queries (rejoinders). Miss this window and your right to challenge issues is permanently waived.

How to Count:

Day 0: Seller's replies received (start date — don't count this)
Days 1–5: Your window to raise rejoinders
After Day 5: Unraised issues are waived forever

Example: Standard Week

Monday → Day 0 (replies received)
Tuesday → Day 1
Wednesday → Day 2
Thursday → Day 3
Friday → Day 4
Saturday/Sunday → not counted
Monday → Day 5 — DEADLINE

Example: Easter Period

Replies received Thursday 17 April 2025:

Thu 17 Apr → Day 0
Fri 18 Apr → Day 1
Sat–Sun → Weekend
Mon 21 Apr → Easter Monday (public holiday excluded)
Tue 22 Apr → Day 2
Wed–Fri → Days 3–5
Fri 25 Apr → Day 5 — DEADLINE

Under the standard definition, Good Friday is counted and Easter Monday is excluded as a public holiday. If your contract also excludes Good Friday, the deadline would move later.

Notice to Complete

After requisitions are resolved, the seller may serve a Notice to Complete setting a firm closing date. This is typically 28 calendar days (not working days) and makes "time of the essence."

If You Miss It:

Seller can rescind the contract
You lose your entire deposit
You may be liable for the seller's costs and losses

Other Key Deadlines

Deadline	Timeframe	Type
Requisitions rejoinders	5 days	Working days
Notice to Complete	28 days (typical)	Calendar days
Stamp duty filing	30 days (statutory); 44 days (Revenue practical window)	Calendar days
PRAI registration	6 months	Calendar days

Using the Calculator

Enter the date you received the seller's replies
Set working days to "5"
Tick "Exclude start date" (Day 0 is receipt, not Day 1)
Only check "Exclude Good Friday" if the contract wording supports it
If crossing Christmas, select "LSI conveyancing shutdown"

Frequently Asked Questions

Day 0 is when you receive the seller's replies. Then count 5 working days using the contract's Working Day definition. Under the standard Law Society wording, that means excluding weekends, Irish public holidays, and 26 December through 1 January. Only exclude Good Friday if your contract wording does so explicitly.

Not by default. The standard Law Society definition does not explicitly exclude Good Friday, even though many firms treat it as a non-working day in practice. Only exclude it if your contract wording does so or you are deliberately modelling it as an extra non-working day.

Any issues you haven't raised are permanently waived. You cannot raise them later or use them as grounds to withdraw from the sale. You're bound by the seller's replies, even if they're unsatisfactory. This applies to serious issues like boundary disputes and title defects.

A Notice to Complete is served under standard contract conditions and gives the buyer a set period (usually 28 calendar days) to complete the transaction. It makes 'time of the essence' — failure to complete by the deadline gives the seller grounds to rescind the contract and keep your deposit.

The statutory deadline is 30 days from execution of the instrument. However, Revenue's administrative practice treats 44 days as the point at which late filing surcharges and interest begin to apply. Diary both dates — the 30-day statutory deadline and the 44-day practical window — from the moment the instrument is executed.

The Law Society definition excludes the seven days after Christmas (26 December – 1 January) in addition to Christmas Day itself. This means deadlines crossing Christmas can extend by over a week. Select 'LSI conveyancing shutdown' in the calculator to handle this automatically.

Related Resources

Law Society of Ireland - Requisitions on Title (2019)

Official practice notes on conveyancing requisitions

Law Society of Ireland - Conveyancing Precedents

General Conditions of Sale and other conveyancing documents

Revenue - Stamp Duty Late Filing

Deadlines and penalties for stamp duty filing

Property Registration Authority Ireland

Information on property registration requirements

Topic

Court Vacation Periods & Legal Closures

Vacation periods and legal closures that can pause, extend, or otherwise affect court-based timing in Ireland.

Court Calendar

Long Vacation & August Deadlines

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•Long Vacation: 1 August – 30 September (courts don't sit for regular business)
•Pleading deadlines: August EXCLUDED from calculation (time pauses)
•Other deadlines: Continue counting through August normally
•Vacation Judge available for genuinely urgent applications

Irish court vacation periods and sitting calendar

The Long Vacation Period

Dates: 1 August – 30 September
Effect: Superior Courts do not sit for regular business
Court offices: Generally remain open for filings

August Exclusion for Pleading Deadlines

CRITICAL: Time does NOT run for delivery or amendment of pleadings during August. This applies only to pleading deadlines.

What This Means:

You CAN deliver pleadings during August (since 2016 amendment)
But August days do NOT count toward your deadline
Time resumes counting on 1 September

Example: 21-day deadline to file Defence, clock starts 20 July.

20–31 July = 11 days counted
1–31 August = paused (0 days counted)
1 September onwards = remaining 10 days resume
Final deadline: approximately 10 September

Calculator tip: Enable Exclude August only when your calculation relates to delivery or amendment of pleadings.

What's NOT Affected by August

The August exclusion does NOT apply to:

Notices of motion
Notices of appeal
Requisitions on title (property transactions)
Court orders
Contract deadlines

Warning: A common mistake is assuming all deadlines pause in August. If you have a requisitions deadline in August, it does NOT pause. Always check the specific nature of your deadline.

Impact by Deadline Type

Deadline Type	August Impact
Pleading deadlines	August EXCLUDED (time pauses)
Notices of motion/appeal	Time continues normally
Requisitions (property)	Time continues normally
Court orders	Must be obeyed — no pause

Vacation Judge System

One High Court judge is appointed as Vacation Judge to handle urgent matters during the Long Vacation.

What Qualifies as Urgent:

Immediate danger or serious harm
Irreversible loss if matter waits until October
Time-sensitive statutory deadlines

NOT Typically Heard:

Routine motions
Standard discovery disputes
Matters that can wait until term resumes

How to Apply:

Prepare motion with supporting affidavit showing urgency
File at High Court (Dublin)
Clerk screens for urgency
Judge decides whether to hear the application

2016 Amendment

Before 2016: Delivery of pleadings was prohibited during August
After 2016: Delivery is now allowed, but August days still don't count toward the deadline
Authority: S.I. No. 471/2016

Frequently Asked Questions

No. August is only excluded for pleading deadlines (delivery/amendment of pleadings). Other deadlines—notices, requisitions, contract terms—continue counting through August normally.

Yes. Court offices generally remain open for filings during the Long Vacation. The vacation is a sittings break (no regular hearings), not a blanket office closure.

Yes, through the Vacation Judge, but only for genuinely urgent matters. You must file an application with supporting affidavit demonstrating urgency. Routine motions will not be heard.

Time pauses for the entire month. If you had 10 days remaining on 31 July, you still have 10 days on 1 September. The deadline extends by approximately 31 days.

Related Resources

Courts Service - Sittings and Vacations

Official court sitting calendar and vacation schedule

Courts Service - Time Rules

Complete rules governing time calculations

Law Society - Long Vacation Guidance

Professional guidance on Long Vacation rules