Annual Leave Hacks 2027: How to Get 54 Days Off with 20 Days of Leave
Ireland's 2027 bank holidays fall kindly. Book the right days and 20 days of leave becomes 54 days off, or 7 days becomes a 13-day Easter holiday.
Nobody has ever said “I have too much annual leave”. But 2027 is a good year to make the little you have go a long way. The bank holidays fall kindly, most of them on a Monday, and with a bit of planning 20 days of leave can get you 54 days off work. Here are the exact days to book.
The short version
- Book 20 days of leave around the bank holidays and you’re off for 54 days, in eight breaks.
- Want one big holiday instead? Join St Patrick’s Day to Easter Monday: 7 days of leave for 13 days off in a row, from Wednesday 17 March to Monday 29 March.
- Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day fall on a weekend in 2027, so check what your employer gives you before you plan late December.
Every bank holiday in 2027
| Bank holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | Friday |
| St Brigid’s Day | 1 February | Monday |
| St Patrick’s Day | 17 March | Wednesday |
| Easter Monday | 29 March | Monday |
| May bank holiday | 3 May | Monday |
| June bank holiday | 7 June | Monday |
| August bank holiday | 2 August | Monday |
| October bank holiday | 25 October | Monday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | Saturday |
| St Stephen’s Day | 26 December | Sunday |
Seven of the ten land on a Monday or a Friday, which is exactly what you want: the long weekend is already built in, and all you have to do is stretch it. Good Friday (26 March) is not a public holiday, whatever your uncle insists every year, but plenty of people book it off anyway. See all the 2027 dates with a countdown and calendar download.
The big one: St Patrick’s Day to Easter
In 2027, Paddy’s Day falls on a Wednesday and Easter Monday follows just 12 days later. Book the seven working days in between, Thursday 18 and Friday 19 March and then Monday 22 to Friday 26 March, and you’re off from Wednesday 17 March to Monday 29 March. That’s 13 days in a row for 7 days of leave: early enough that the sun is a short flight away and fares haven’t hit summer prices, and long enough to properly forget your work password.
One honest caveat: it isn’t the most efficient way to spend leave. If all you want is the highest total, a short Paddy’s break and a separate nine-day Easter break get you 14 days off for 6 days of leave. But two weeks in one go is a real holiday rather than a long weekend, and the Easter school holidays usually fall around the same time, so it can suit families well. Check your school’s dates first on our school holidays page.
The bank holiday Monday trick
Six of 2027’s bank holidays fall on a Monday. Book the Tuesday to Friday after one and you get 9 days off for 4 days of leave, two weekends with a bank holiday in the middle. The best ones for 2027:
- May: book Tuesday 4 to Friday 7 May, off from Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 May.
- June: book Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 June, off from Saturday 5 to Sunday 13 June.
- August: book Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 August, off from Saturday 31 July to Sunday 8 August.
- October: book Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 October, off from Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 October, Halloween included.
Prefer short and often? Book the Friday before instead: one day of leave, a four-day weekend. Do that in May, June, August and October and you’ve four mini-breaks for four days of leave, which is about as good as maths gets.
Christmas 2027 and the weekend catch
Christmas Day is a Saturday, St Stephen’s Day is a Sunday, and New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday too. Lots of people assume the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas are automatically theirs. Many employers do give them, but the law doesn’t say they have to. When a public holiday falls on a day you wouldn’t normally work, your employer chooses one of three things: a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an extra day’s pay. Our guide to your bank holiday rights explains how it works.
If your employer gives you Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December (and Monday 3 January 2028), book Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December: 3 days of leave for 10 days off, from Christmas Day to Monday 3 January. If they don’t, you’ll need 5 days (Monday 27 to Friday 31) for nine days off. Either way, ask early. Christmas leave goes fast, and there’s always someone who books it in July.
What your leave gets you in 2027
These are the best plans our planner finds for 2027. Every number counts the weekends and bank holidays inside each break, and assumes the Christmas days above.
| Leave days | Days off | What to book |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 21 | The Friday before the May, June, August and October bank holidays, and Christmas Eve |
| 10 | 35 | Good Friday, the Fridays before May, June, August and October, Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 March for Paddy’s Day, and three days after Christmas |
| 20 | 54 | St Brigid’s, Paddy’s, Easter and May as long weekends, nine days each in June, August and October, and the full Christmas break |
Try it with your own numbers
Got more days, or fewer? Slide to your number and the planner picks the best breaks for 2027. It also shows the Paddy’s to Easter option if you’d rather have one long holiday. When you’re happy, copy the plan for your manager or add the breaks straight to your calendar.
Plan your year
Spend 8 days of leave, get 0 days off.
Tips for parents
- The October bank holiday week usually lines up with the Halloween mid-term, so the nine-day October break covers it nicely.
- The Easter school holidays usually run for two weeks around Easter, which is why the Paddy’s to Easter stretch can work so well.
- The February mid-term usually comes a couple of weeks after St Brigid’s Day, so you can’t join them. A four-day weekend at the start of February is still a lovely consolation prize.
Official dates for every break are on our school holidays page.
Book the leave, then book the trip
Leave is only half the plan. Bank holiday weekends are when everyone else is going away too, so hotels in the popular spots fill up and fares climb. Request your leave as soon as your leave year opens, since most workplaces go first come, first served, then book the trip straight away.
The four-day weekends suit somewhere close: our escapes in Ireland show the drive time from your town. The nine-day breaks in June and August are made for going further, and our city breaks and flights page will help. A Saturday morning flight is often cheaper than the Friday evening rush, and you’ll be in better form for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Good Friday a bank holiday in Ireland?
No. Good Friday (26 March in 2027) is not a public holiday in Ireland. Many schools and banks close, and some employers give the day off, but usually you’ll need a day of leave. Easter Monday is the bank holiday.
What happens when a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
You don’t automatically get the next Monday off. If you qualify for the public holiday, your employer chooses between a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave or an extra day’s pay. Many employers simply give the next working day off, but check with yours.
How many days of annual leave do I get in Ireland?
Most full-time employees are entitled to four working weeks a year, which is 20 days if you work five days a week. Part-time workers build up leave based on the hours they work. Your contract may give you more.
Can my employer refuse my leave request?
Your employer decides when annual leave is taken, but they must take your family responsibilities and your chance to rest into account, and consult you or your union at least a month beforehand. The earlier you ask, the better your chances.
When is the first long weekend of 2027?
New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January gives you a three-day weekend straight away, followed by St Brigid’s Day on Monday 1 February. Our bank holidays page has a live countdown to the next one.
More planning help: Every Irish bank holiday Your rights on bank holidays School holidays