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Long Weekend
Quiz: How much do you know about bank holidays?
Settle into the weekend with this quiz.
AHH, ANOTHER LONG weekend is upon us.
Some of us will be putting the feet up, others will have to work.
There are some who are not legally entitled to it, and there are those who will point out that eh, it’s actually called a public holiday in Ireland, not a bank holiday.
Regardless, People Before Profit say we’re being cheated out of some, falling below the EU average, and want three more put in place.
But before that, let’s review what we know about the ones we have already.
Do banks actually go on holidays when it's a bank holiday?
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Yes
No
Some of the staff might, but not the actual building itself.
When were bank holidays first legislated for in UK law (and thus Irish law)?
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1938
1871
1900
1540
How many public holidays do we have in Ireland?
4
8
9
15
Now to make you a little jealous: How many does Spain have?
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10
14
25
Surely not 75?
And Cambodia?
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8? Take that, suckers!
9, at least we're in the same situation.
15, which is the most in the world.
28? You're not going to tell me they get 28 public holidays a year over there, are you?
The date for June bank holiday was set in stone in 1973. Before that, it depended on the date of a moveable Christian feast. What was it called?
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Christmas Day
Whit Monday
St Swithin's Day
St Brigid's Day
Is Good Friday a public holiday?
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Yes
No
Most, but not all, employees are entitled to some form of public holiday benefit. If you don't get the day off, what must you get in lieu of that?
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An additional day of annual leave
An additional day's pay
A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
Any one of the above
A shirt with patterns that are so complicated and intricate it costs at least €1,000
What if you've been absent from work immediately before the public holiday because you went on strike? Are you still entitled to that benefit?
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You are still entitled. Why would Irish employment legislation include a measure that would in some way impact an employee's decision to take part in industrial action?
You are not entitled.
According to Citizens Information, which has an incredibly detailed page on public holidays (and look, I'll be level with you, I'm really leaning into that to come up with questions and answers for this quiz), what is the earliest date that the Easter Monday public holiday could fall?
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1 March
22 March
1 April
22 April
James O'Mara served as both an MP for the Irish Parliamentary Party and a TD for Sinn Féin. What is he better known for?
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He invented the concept of a holiday.
He allowed Catholic holidays to be made public holidays in Ireland.
He was the first Irishman to go on holiday.
He introduced a bill to the House of Commons that made St Patrick's Day a public holiday in Ireland.
Finally, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception - also known by some as Culchie Shopping Day - falls on 8 December. Was it ever a public holiday?
RollingNews.ie
Yes, that's why so many people used it for shopping
No, it was just a holy day that many people took off
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You scored out of !
You are the June bank holiday weekend
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You scored out of !
You are St Stephen's Day
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You scored out of !
You are the August bank holiday weekend
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You scored out of !
You are Christmas Day
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You scored out of !
You are St Patrick's Day
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You scored out of !
You are the May bank holiday weekend
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You scored out of !
You are the October bank holiday weekend
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You scored out of !
You are Easter Monday
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You scored out of !
You are New Year's Day
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