4 days off for 1 day of leave
Long weekends 2026 in Ireland
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2026, and 9 of them land on a weekday. Your best deal is 1 to 4 January: 1 day of leave turns into 4 days off in a row. The longest break with up to 10 days of leave: 10 days, 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, for 4 days of leave.
- Bank holidays 2026
- 10
- on weekdays
- 9
- bridge days
- 2
- off for 4 days of annual leave
- 10 days
The 2026 calendar in Ireland
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2026, taken from the official government list. 1 falls on a weekend.
Leave rules differ by employer and contract in Ireland, so the planner shows every budget from one to ten days. Among the 16 countries we cover outside our main markets, Ireland ranks number 14 for full days off this year.
Public holidays 2026 in Ireland and what each one gives you
Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.
- Thursday, 1 January: Lá Caille. New Year's Day is a public holiday in Ireland, a quiet day after the celebrations. It closes the Christmas break for many workers. Take Friday, 2 January off and you have 4 days in a row, 1 to 4 January.
- Monday, 2 February: Lá Fhéile Bríde. St Brigid's Day honours Ireland's female patron saint and the first day of spring in the Irish calendar. The bank holiday falls on the first Monday of February, or on 1 February when that is a Friday. You get 3 free days in a row, 31 January to 2 February, with no leave needed.
- Tuesday, 17 March: Lá Fhéile Pádraig. St Patrick's Day on 17 March is Ireland's national day, with parades in every town and the big festival in Dublin. Accommodation books out early. Take Monday, 16 March off and you have 4 days in a row, 14 to 17 March.
- Monday, 6 April: Luan Cásca. Easter Monday is a bank holiday in Ireland, and the Easter Rising of 1916 is commemorated around this time. It closes the Easter weekend, a popular time for a first spring break. You get 3 free days in a row, 4 to 6 April, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 4 May: Lá Bealtaine. The May bank holiday on the first Monday of May marks Bealtaine, the old Celtic start of summer. It opens the season of long weekends for trips along the coast. You get 3 free days in a row, 2 to 4 May, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 1 June: Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh. The June bank holiday on the first Monday of June brings long evenings and festivals. It is a classic weekend for the west coast, the islands and outdoor events. You get 3 free days in a row, 30 May to 1 June, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 3 August: Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa. The August bank holiday on the first Monday of August marks Lúnasa, the old harvest festival. Summer festivals and fairs fill the weekend across the country. You get 3 free days in a row, 1 to 3 August, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 26 October: Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair. The October bank holiday on the last Monday of October coincides with Halloween festivities and school mid term in many years, making it a popular break. You get 3 free days in a row, 24 to 26 October, with no leave needed.
- Friday, 25 December: Lá Nollag. Christmas Day in Ireland is a day for family, when nearly everything closes, including pubs in many places. Leave in the days after it gives a long winter break. You get 3 free days in a row, 25 to 27 December, with no leave needed.
- Saturday, 26 December: Lá Fhéile Stiofáin. St Stephen's Day on 26 December is known for horse racing, the Wren Boys tradition and family visits. With Christmas Day it gives two holidays in a row. It falls on a Saturday, and Ireland's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2026.
Where your days of leave go furthest in 2026
Each break below starts and ends on a free day, contains at least one public holiday, and needs no more than 10 days of leave. They are ranked by how many days off each day of leave brings.
1 to 4 January: 1 day of leave (2 January) around Lá Caille gives 4 days off, 4.0 days for every day used.
Around Lá Fhéile Bríde, 4 days of leave on Tue 3 February, Wed 4 February, Thu 5 February and Fri 6 February unlock 9 days away, 31 January to 8 February.
14 to 17 March: 1 day of leave (16 March) around Lá Fhéile Pádraig gives 4 days off, 4.0 days for every day used.
Around Luan Cásca, 4 days of leave on Tue 7 April, Wed 8 April, Thu 9 April and Fri 10 April unlock 9 days away, 4 to 12 April.
Around Lá Bealtaine, 4 days of leave on Tue 5 May, Wed 6 May, Thu 7 May and Fri 8 May unlock 9 days away, 2 to 10 May.
25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027: 4 days of leave (28 to 31 December) around Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin and Lá Caille give 10 days off, 2.5 days for every day used.
The best breaks 2026 in Ireland
Every row is a run of weekends, public holidays and days of leave. The highlighted row brings the most days off per day of leave.
| Dates | Result | Leave on | Bank holidays | School holidays | Plan a trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 to Sun, Jan 4 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Fri, Jan 2 | Lá Caille | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Jan 31 to Sun, Feb 8 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Feb 3 · Wed, Feb 4 · Thu, Feb 5 · Fri, Feb 6 | Lá Fhéile Bríde | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Mar 14 to Tue, Mar 17 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Mon, Mar 16 | Lá Fhéile Pádraig | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 4 to Sun, Apr 12 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Apr 7 · Wed, Apr 8 · Thu, Apr 9 · Fri, Apr 10 | Luan Cásca | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, May 2 to Sun, May 10 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, May 5 · Wed, May 6 · Thu, May 7 · Fri, May 8 | Lá Bealtaine | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, May 30 to Sun, Jun 7 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Jun 2 · Wed, Jun 3 · Thu, Jun 4 · Fri, Jun 5 | Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Aug 1 to Sun, Aug 9 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Aug 4 · Wed, Aug 5 · Thu, Aug 6 · Fri, Aug 7 | Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Oct 24 to Sun, Nov 1 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Oct 27 · Wed, Oct 28 · Thu, Oct 29 · Fri, Oct 30 | Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair | none | Plan a trip |
| Fri, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 3 | 10 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.5 days off per day of leave | Mon, Dec 28 · Tue, Dec 29 · Wed, Dec 30 · Thu, Dec 31 | Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, Lá Caille | none | Plan a trip |
What 1 to 10 days of leave bring
For each budget, the longest run of days off in 2026.
1 day of annual leave
4 days
January 1 to January 4
Lá Caille
3 days of annual leave
6 days
March 17 to March 22
Lá Fhéile Pádraig
4 days of annual leave
10 days
December 25 to January 3
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, Lá Caille
8 days of annual leave
16 days
December 19 to January 3
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, Lá Caille
9 days of annual leave
17 days
December 25 to January 10
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, Lá Caille
2026 calendar for Ireland
- Bank holiday
- Annual leave in a break
- Weekend
- School holidays
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
The maths: days of leave in, days off out
With 1 day of leave the longest run you can build is 4 days, 1 to 4 January. Three days stretch to 6 days off (17 to 22 March). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin and Lá Caille, 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 17 days in a row, 25 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. For nine days or more away you need 4 days of leave.
Season by season in Ireland
Winter: Lá Caille on 1 January, Lá Fhéile Bríde on 2 February, Lá Nollag on 25 December and Lá Fhéile Stiofáin on 26 December. The pick of the season is 1 to 4 January with 1 day of leave for 4 days off.
Spring: Lá Fhéile Pádraig on 17 March, Luan Cásca on 6 April and Lá Bealtaine on 4 May. The pick of the season is 14 to 17 March with 1 day of leave for 4 days off.
Summer: Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh on 1 June and Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa on 3 August. The pick of the season is 1 to 9 August with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Autumn: Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair on 26 October. The pick of the season is 24 October to 1 November with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Ireland compared with other countries
South Korea has the most with 18 public holidays in 2026, Mexico the fewest with 7. Ireland sits in between with 10.
Mexico
South KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIts best break, 1 to 4 January, returns 4.0 days off per day of leave. 3 countries get a better ratio this year, mostly thanks to an extra public holiday next to a weekend.
MexicoSouth KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Long Weekend Planner 2026 for Ireland as a PDF
Every stretch, holiday and school break in IE on one printable page. Plus The Sunday Getaway every week and a note whenever a long weekend is worth it.
Public holidays 2026 in Ireland
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | Lá Caille | nationwide |
| February 2 | Monday | Lá Fhéile Bríde | nationwide |
| March 17 | Tuesday | Lá Fhéile Pádraig | nationwide |
| April 6 | Monday | Luan Cásca | nationwide |
| May 4 | Monday | Lá Bealtaine | nationwide |
| June 1 | Monday | Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh | nationwide |
| August 3 | Monday | Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa | nationwide |
| October 26 | Monday | Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair | nationwide |
| December 25 | Friday | Lá Nollag | nationwide |
| December 26 | Saturday | Lá Fhéile Stiofáin | nationwide |
Long weekend ideas from Ireland
From Ireland, bank holiday weekends lead to the Wild Atlantic Way and Connemara in summer, Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula in late spring, and Kilkenny or Galway for festivals. Short flights to Lisbon or Barcelona make a sunny autumn break.
BarcelonaiPhoto: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
LisboniPhoto: tjabeljan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsYour strongest breaks this year fall in January, March and April, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in Ireland has the same days off.
BarcelonaiPhoto: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsLisboniPhoto: tjabeljan · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIreland in other years
2027 and 2028 are planned as well, each with its own dates and breaks.
Holiday dates move every year: fixed-date days change their weekday, and Easter moves between late March and late April, which is why the best breaks are never the same twice.
Where these dates come from
Every date on this page comes from the official source for Ireland, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another country's dates.
The planner treats weekends and full public holidays as free days and works out where your days of leave turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of Ireland or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on 1 October 2026.
Long Weekend Planner 2026 in IE: frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Ireland have in 2026?
10 public holidays: Lá Caille on 1 January, Lá Fhéile Bríde on 2 February, Lá Fhéile Pádraig on 17 March, Luan Cásca on 6 April, Lá Bealtaine on 4 May, Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh on 1 June, Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa on 3 August, Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair on 26 October, Lá Nollag on 25 December and Lá Fhéile Stiofáin on 26 December. 9 fall on a weekday.
What is the best long weekend in Ireland in 2026?
1 to 4 January: 1 day of leave gives 4 days off around Lá Caille.
How many days of leave do I need for nine days off in 2026?
4 days of leave: take 28 to 31 December off and you are off 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland in 2026?
No. Good Friday is not on Ireland's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Ireland in 2026?
No. Christmas Eve is not on Ireland's official list for 2026, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
2026 in the other countries
How the Long Weekend Planner works
Holidays: the public holidays from the official list in IE, checked date by date. The planner counts only days off for the whole region.
Stretches: start and end on a day off, include at least one holiday and at most 10 days of annual leave. Ranked by days off per day of leave; Saturday and Sunday count as free.
School holidays: officially published dates only, checked every month. Trip ideas: the month's climate and flights from the region's main airport.
