Irish workers are being encouraged to plan ahead for 2026, as a holiday specialist says smart scheduling around public holidays could turn short weekends into long, luxurious breaks.
Rob Brooks of On the Beach Ireland is advising people to use strategic annual leave days around next year’s bank holidays to greatly extend their time off. With many already mapping out holidays for 2026, he says the right approach can offer far more flexibility — without using extra leave.
Under Irish employment law, anyone working a standard five-day week is entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave, or 29 days when bank holidays are included. According to Brooks, careful planning can make those days stretch significantly further.
“In Ireland, for those that work a standard five-day working week, the law requires you to have a minimum of 20 days annual leave per year — or 29 days including bank holidays,” Brooks explains. “If you’re savvy, you can cleverly book days off surrounding public bank holidays to turn long weekends into weeks. This way, you can fully switch off knowing you have more days to relax.”
One of the standout opportunities next year comes with St Patrick’s Day, which falls on a Tuesday. Brooks recommends booking Monday, 16 March, to create a four-day weekend.
Easter also offers major potential, with Easter Monday landing on 6 April. Booking the four days that follow could give workers between nine and ten consecutive days off, especially for those who do not work Good Friday.
New Year’s Day — Thursday, 1 January: Book 2 January for four days off.
St Brigid’s Day — Monday, 2 February: Book 3 February for four days off.
St Patrick’s Day — Tuesday, 17 March: Book 16 March for four days off.
Easter Monday — Monday, 6 April: Book 7–10 April for six days off.
Early May Bank Holiday — Monday, 4 May: Book 5–8 May for a nine-day break.
June Holiday — Monday, 1 June: Book 2–5 June for seven days off.
August Holiday — Monday, 3 August: Book 4–8 August for a nine-day break.
Halloween/Samhain Holiday — Monday, 26 October: Book 27–30 October for nine days off.
Christmas Holiday — Friday, 25 December & Monday, 28 December: Book 29–31 December for seven days off.
Brooks cautions that entitlement varies from company to company. Some employers count bank holidays as part of a worker’s overall leave allowance, reducing the total number of bookable days.
“There are actually a few caveats to this,” he notes. “It will vary depending on where and who you work for, and some companies will include bank holidays within the entitlement. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to bag all these days off, so I’d recommend prioritising the ones that work best for you.”
And for anyone running their own business, the rules are far simpler.
“If you’re self-employed, the rules don’t apply, and you can holiday whenever you wish!”
