9 days off for 3 days of leave
Long weekends 2028 in Ireland
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2028, and 9 of them land on a weekday. Your best deal is 23 to 31 December: 3 days of leave turn into 9 days off in a row.
- Bank holidays 2028
- 10
- on weekdays
- 9
- bridge days
- 0
- off for 3 days of annual leave
- 9 days
How 2028 works in Ireland
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2028, 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 14 countries we cover outside our main markets, Ireland ranks number 12 for full days off this year.
Every public holiday in Ireland in 2028
Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.
DubliniPhoto: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons- Saturday, 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. It falls on a Saturday, and Ireland's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2028.
- Monday, 7 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, 5 to 7 February, with no leave needed.
- Friday, 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. You get 3 free days in a row, 17 to 19 March, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 17 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, 15 to 17 April, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 1 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, 29 April to 1 May, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 5 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, 3 to 5 June, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 7 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, 5 to 7 August, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 30 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, 28 to 30 October, with no leave needed.
- Monday, 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 4 free days in a row, 23 to 26 December, with no leave needed.
- Tuesday, 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. That makes 4 days off in a row without using any leave, 23 to 26 December.
DubliniPhoto: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsWhere your days of leave go furthest in 2028
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.
Around Lá Fhéile Bríde, 4 days of leave on Tue 8 February, Wed 9 February, Thu 10 February and Fri 11 February unlock 9 days away, 5 to 13 February.
Around Lá Fhéile Pádraig, 4 days of leave on Mon 13 March, Tue 14 March, Wed 15 March and Thu 16 March unlock 9 days away, 11 to 19 March.
Around Luan Cásca, 4 days of leave on Tue 18 April, Wed 19 April, Thu 20 April and Fri 21 April unlock 9 days away, 15 to 23 April.
Around Lá Bealtaine, 4 days of leave on Tue 2 May, Wed 3 May, Thu 4 May and Fri 5 May unlock 9 days away, 29 April to 7 May.
Around Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh, 4 days of leave on Tue 6 June, Wed 7 June, Thu 8 June and Fri 9 June unlock 9 days away, 3 to 11 June.
Around Lá Nollag and Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, 3 days of leave on Wed 27 December, Thu 28 December and Fri 29 December unlock 9 days away, 23 to 31 December.
The best breaks 2028 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 2 | 9 days offfor 5 days of annual leave, 1.8 days off per day of leave | Mon, Dec 27 · Tue, Dec 28 · Wed, Dec 29 · Thu, Dec 30 · Fri, Dec 31 | Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, Lá Caille | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Feb 5 to Sun, Feb 13 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Feb 8 · Wed, Feb 9 · Thu, Feb 10 · Fri, Feb 11 | Lá Fhéile Bríde | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Mar 11 to Sun, Mar 19 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Mon, Mar 13 · Tue, Mar 14 · Wed, Mar 15 · Thu, Mar 16 | Lá Fhéile Pádraig | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 15 to Sun, Apr 23 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Apr 18 · Wed, Apr 19 · Thu, Apr 20 · Fri, Apr 21 | Luan Cásca | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 29 to Sun, May 7 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, May 2 · Wed, May 3 · Thu, May 4 · Fri, May 5 | Lá Bealtaine | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Jun 3 to Sun, Jun 11 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Jun 6 · Wed, Jun 7 · Thu, Jun 8 · Fri, Jun 9 | Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Aug 5 to Sun, Aug 13 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Aug 8 · Wed, Aug 9 · Thu, Aug 10 · Fri, Aug 11 | Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Oct 28 to Sun, Nov 5 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Oct 31 · Wed, Nov 1 · Thu, Nov 2 · Fri, Nov 3 | Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Dec 23 to Sun, Dec 31 | 9 days offfor 3 days of annual leave, 3 days off per day of leave | Wed, Dec 27 · Thu, Dec 28 · Fri, Dec 29 | Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin | none | Plan a trip |
What 1 to 10 days of leave bring
For each budget, the longest run of days off in 2028.
3 days of annual leave
9 days
December 23 to December 31
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin
5 days of annual leave
11 days
December 16 to December 26
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin
8 days of annual leave
16 days
December 16 to December 31
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin
10 days of annual leave
18 days
December 9 to December 26
Lá Nollag, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin
2028 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
How far each day of leave goes in 2028
Three days stretch to 9 days off (23 to 31 December). Five days, a typical week, become 11 days off around Lá Nollag and Lá Fhéile Stiofáin, 16 to 26 December.
Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, 9 to 26 December. For nine days or more away you need 3 days of leave.
2028 through the seasons
Winter: Lá Caille on 1 January, Lá Fhéile Bríde on 7 February, Lá Nollag on 25 December and Lá Fhéile Stiofáin on 26 December. The pick of the season is 23 to 31 December with 3 days of leave for 9 days off.
Spring: Lá Fhéile Pádraig on 17 March, Luan Cásca on 17 April and Lá Bealtaine on 1 May. The pick of the season is 11 to 19 March with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Summer: Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh on 5 June and Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa on 7 August. The pick of the season is 3 to 11 June with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Autumn: Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair on 30 October. The pick of the season is 28 October to 5 November with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Ireland compared with other countries
South Korea has the most with 19 public holidays in 2028, Mexico the fewest with 6. Ireland sits in between with 10.
Mexico
South KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIts best break, 23 to 31 December, returns 3.0 days off per day of leave. 12 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 2028 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 2028 in Ireland
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Saturday | Lá Caille | nationwide |
| February 7 | Monday | Lá Fhéile Bríde | nationwide |
| March 17 | Friday | Lá Fhéile Pádraig | nationwide |
| April 17 | Monday | Luan Cásca | nationwide |
| May 1 | Monday | Lá Bealtaine | nationwide |
| June 5 | Monday | Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh | nationwide |
| August 7 | Monday | Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa | nationwide |
| October 30 | Monday | Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair | nationwide |
| December 25 | Monday | Lá Nollag | nationwide |
| December 26 | Tuesday | 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 February, 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
2026 and 2027 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 2028 in IE: frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Ireland have in 2028?
10 public holidays: Lá Caille on 1 January, Lá Fhéile Bríde on 7 February, Lá Fhéile Pádraig on 17 March, Luan Cásca on 17 April, Lá Bealtaine on 1 May, Lá Saoire i mí an Mheithimh on 5 June, Lá Saoire i mí Lúnasa on 7 August, Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair on 30 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 2028?
23 to 31 December: 3 days of leave give 9 days off around Lá Nollag and Lá Fhéile Stiofáin.
How many days of leave do I need for nine days off in 2028?
3 days of leave: take 27 to 29 December off and you are off 23 to 31 December.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Ireland in 2028?
No. Good Friday is not on Ireland's official list for 2028, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Ireland in 2028?
No. Christmas Eve is not on Ireland's official list for 2028, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
2028 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.
