How to use your annual leave in 2025 to make the most of Ireland’s Bank Holidays and get 70 days off work

You could get up to 70 days off work.

Of course, this depends on your individual personal leave entitlement, but with some clever planning, here's how to make the most of your holidays for 2025.

How does it work?

Full-time employees in Ireland are entitled to 4 weeks of annual leave – which equates to 20 days.

Your employer may give you more time off. As such, you should plan out your annual leave based on the time off afforded to you.

Regardless of how much annual leave you are allocated, the same principle applies - by planning ahead, you can turn your annual leave into extended breaks by combining it with public holidays and weekends.

For example, a person with 29 days of annual leave could stretch it to cover 70 days off in 2025 by booking specific dates.

Let’s break it down.

Key dates to maximise annual leave in 2025

February

St Brigid’s Day falls on Monday, February 3. So, if you take annual leave on February 4, 5, 6, and 7, you’ll get a total of nine days off work from Saturday, February 1, to Sunday, February 9.

March

St Patrick’s Day falls on Monday, March 17.

If you book annual leave for Tuesday, March 18, to Friday, March 21, you’ll enjoy another nine days off work from Saturday, March 15, to Sunday, March 23.

April (Easter)

Easter Monday falls on April 21.

If you take annual leave for April 22, 23, 24, and 25, you’ll get nine days off work from Saturday, April 19, to Sunday, April 27.

May

The May Bank Holiday falls on Monday, May 5.

Booking annual leave for May 6, 7, 8, and 9 gives you another nine days off work, from Saturday, May 3, to Sunday, May 11.

June

The June Bank Holiday is on Monday, June 2. By booking annual leave for June 3, 4, 5, and 6, you’ll enjoy another nine-day break, from Saturday, May 31, to Sunday, June 8.

August

The August Bank Holiday is on Monday, August 4. Take leave on August 5, 6, 7, and 8, and you’ll get nine days off work, from Saturday, August 2, to Sunday, August 10.

October

The October Bank Holiday falls on Monday, October 27.

Booking leave for October 28, 29, 30, and 31 means another nine days off work, from Saturday, October 25, to Sunday, November 2.

Christmas and New Year

Christmas Day is on Thursday, December 25, and St Stephen’s Day is on Friday, December 26, with New Year’s Day falling on Thursday, January 1, 2026.

By taking annual leave on December 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, and 31, you’ll enjoy a 16-day break from Saturday, December 20, 2025, to Sunday, January 4, 2026, using only six days of annual leave.

Summary of Annual Leave Dates

This totals 70 days off work by using 29 days of annual leave.

Ireland’s Public Holidays in 2025

Here’s a quick reference for the bank holidays in Ireland in 2025:

Final tips

• Check your annual leave entitlement with your employer—many companies offer more than the statutory 20 days.
• Plan your time off early, as popular dates tend to get booked quickly.
• Some employers also give extra days off, such as Good Friday.
• Start mapping out your holidays as soon as possible.