Ireland Public Holidays 2028
Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2028 and seven of them fall on a Monday — the most in any recent year. Only New Year's Day (Sat Jan 1) falls on a weekend, and there is no fixed substitute date: the Organisation of Working Time Act requires your employer to give a benefit within a month. Christmas lands on Monday–Tuesday, a four-day weekend from December 23.
Public holidays
10
Monday holidays
7
Longest break
Christmas · 4 days
Good Friday (Apr 14)
Not a public holiday
2028 Ireland calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
Ireland public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2028 | Saturday | New Year's DayFalls on a Saturday — no automatic substitute day; your employer owes you a benefit within a month. The only holiday on a weekend in 2028.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| February 7, 2028 | Monday | Saint Brigid's DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| March 17, 2028 | Friday | Saint Patrick's DayFalls on a Friday in 2028 — a three-day weekend for the national holiday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 17, 2028 | Monday | Easter MondayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| May 1, 2028 | Monday | May DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| June 5, 2028 | Monday | June Bank HolidayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| August 7, 2028 | Monday | August Bank HolidayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| October 30, 2028 | Monday | October Bank HolidayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2028 | Monday | Christmas DayFalls on a Monday in 2028 — after two consecutive years on the weekend (2027), Christmas is a proper three-day-plus break again.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 26, 2028 | Tuesday | Saint Stephen's DayFalls on a Tuesday in 2028 — combined with Christmas on Monday, a four-day break from Saturday December 23.Public holiday | Public holiday |
Ireland long weekends in 2028
Saint Brigid's Day
3 daysFeb 5 – 7
Saint Patrick's Day
3 daysMar 17 – 19
Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Friday — a three-day weekend for Ireland's national day.
Easter
3 daysApr 15 – 17
Good Friday (Apr 14) is not a public holiday in Ireland, so the break runs Saturday to Easter Monday.
May Day
3 daysApr 29 – May 1
May Day falls on Monday May 1 — the first May bank holiday weekend since 2023 to be a true May Day.
June Bank Holiday
3 daysJun 3 – 5
August Bank Holiday
3 daysAug 5 – 7
October Bank Holiday
3 daysOct 28 – 30
Christmas
4 daysDec 23 – 26
Christmas Day (Mon) and Saint Stephen's Day (Tue) follow the weekend directly — four consecutive days off without taking a single vacation day.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland?
No. Good Friday (April 14, 2028) is not a statutory public holiday in Ireland. Banks close anyway, and many offices and schools shut for the day, which is why it so often appears on "bank holiday" lists — but there is no legal entitlement to the day off.
Whether you actually get Good Friday off depends entirely on your employment contract. Some employers grant it as a paid day; others treat it as a normal working day. In 2028 Good Friday falls on Friday April 14, so the Easter weekend (Sat Apr 15 – Mon Apr 17) is a three-day break either way.
What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend?
Unlike the UK, Ireland has no automatic Monday substitute. Under the Organisation of Working Time Act, when a public holiday falls on a weekend, your employer must give you a benefit within a month of that day: a paid day off, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day's pay. The choice — and the date — is the employer's, not the calendar's.
2028 is the mild version of the problem: only New Year's Day (Saturday, January 1) falls on a weekend, with no fixed substitute date. That is a sharp contrast to 2027, when both Christmas Day and Saint Stephen's Day fell on the weekend. Employees are owed a benefit for the January 1 holiday within a month — check with your employer how it will be given.
Saint Brigid's Day: Ireland's newest public holiday
Saint Brigid's Day became a public holiday in 2023, making it Ireland's newest. It honours Brigid — patron saint and Celtic goddess — and marks the first day of spring in the old Gaelic calendar. It falls on the first Monday in February (February 7 in 2028, since February 1 lands on a Tuesday), except when February 1 lands on a Friday, in which case the holiday is that Friday.
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Official sources & data
- Public holidays in IrelandVisit sourceCitizens Information
- Ireland public holidays 2028Visit sourcePublicHolidays.ie (compiled from the citizensinformation.ie release)
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Ireland have in 2028?+
Ten. They are commonly called bank holidays, and seven of the ten fall on a Monday in 2028 — the most in any recent year — so three-day weekends come almost monthly. Only New Year's Day (Saturday, Jan 1) falls on a weekend.
Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland?+
No. Good Friday (April 14, 2028) is not a statutory public holiday. Banks and many offices close, but there is no legal right to the day off — it depends on your employment contract.
What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend in Ireland?+
There is no automatic Monday substitute. The Organisation of Working Time Act requires your employer to give you a benefit within a month: a paid day off, an extra annual-leave day, or an extra day's pay. In 2028 only New Year's Day (Saturday, January 1) is affected, with no fixed substitute date.
When is the next bank holiday after New Year's Day?+
Saint Brigid's Day on Monday, February 7, 2028. It is Ireland's newest public holiday, introduced in 2023, and falls on the first Monday in February (February 1 is a Tuesday in 2028, so the first Monday wins).
What are the long weekends in Ireland in 2028?+
Seven Monday holidays each give a three-day weekend — Saint Brigid's (Feb 7), Easter Monday (Apr 17), May Day (May 1), June (Jun 5), August (Aug 7) and October (Oct 30) bank holidays, plus Christmas Day (Dec 25). Saint Patrick's Day (Fri Mar 17) adds an eighth. The standout is Christmas: December 23–26 is a four-day break without taking a single vacation day.
Is Saint Stephen's Day the same as Boxing Day?+
Yes. December 26 is called Saint Stephen's Day in Ireland and Boxing Day in the UK — same date, different name. In 2028 it falls on a Tuesday, right after Christmas Day on Monday, giving a four-day break from Saturday December 23.
