What is a "2.1 honors degree"? Is it the same as the American "Bachelor's degree"?

I'm applying to a doctoral program at a school in Ireland, but I'm not familiar with the academic jargon there and am not exactly sure what is meant by "2.1 honors degree". I know it means "upper 2nd" something-or-other, but that still doesn't mean much to me, so I'm trying to find out if it just means the same as a Bachelor's degree in the U.S. Thanks for your help!