June Bank Holiday in Ireland Date in the current year: June 2, 2025

Whit Monday, also known as Pentecost Monday, is the Monday following Pentecost (Whit Sunday, Whitsun), a Christian feast day. Pentecost is celebrated 49 days after Easter and always falls on a Sunday. Therefore, it is a non-working day in most countries. Because of this, Whit Monday is or was a public holiday in many countries instead of Whit Sunday.

Whit Monday was designated a public holiday in Ireland when it was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The first official bank holidays in the UK were established by the Bank Holidays Act 1871, which designated four bank holidays for England, Wales, and Ireland: Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first Monday in August, and Boxing Day if December 26 fell on a weekday (December 27 if it fell on Sunday). Good Friday and Christmas Day were not included since they were already recognized as traditional days of rest and common-law holidays.

Following Ireland’s independence in 1922, the Republic of Ireland continued to celebrate Whit Monday as a bank holiday. Its status was reinforced by the Holidays (Employees) Act 1939 passed by the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament).

In 1971, the Bank Holidays Act 1871 was repealed and replaced by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. This new act replaced the Whit Monday bank holiday in the UK with the Late Spring Bank Holiday, which is celebrated on the last Monday in May. Two years later, in 1973, the Republic of Ireland followed suit when the Holidays (Employees) Act 1973 replaced the Whit Monday bank holiday with the June Bank Holiday, celebrated on the first Monday in June.

As a bank holiday, the June Holiday is a day off for the general population of Ireland. Schools, post offices, government offices, banks, and most businesses and organizations are closed for the day. However, stores and pubs usually remain open, though they may have different hours than usual, i.e. open later and/or close earlier. Public transportation generally operates on Sunday or reduced schedules, though specifics can vary based on the type of transportation, service operator, and region.

Since the weather in Ireland is usually nice at this time of year, many people use the June Bank Holiday weekend to spend time outside and enjoy the weather. Popular activities and events include picnics, hikes, camping trips, open-air concerts, festivals, sporting events, and agricultural and garden shows. Some people use the extended weekend to take a short vacation.

Note that Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, does not celebrate the June Bank Holiday. Instead, Northern Ireland celebrates the Spring Bank Holiday, also known as the Late May Bank Holiday. As mentioned above it falls on the last Monday in May.