Business days in Ireland and the US: 2026 public holidays

Published 2026-08-20 · Updated 2026-08-20 · By Marcus Bennett

You are scheduling a payment, shipment or contract deadline that crosses a border. Your Irish supplier closes for St Patrick's Day, but your US client works through it. If you count business days without knowing which holidays each country observes, your deadline will be wrong. Here is how Ireland and the United States treat public holidays and business days in 2026.

Ireland's public holidays in 2026

The Republic of Ireland observes 10 public holidays each year. Nine are fixed by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, and St Brigid's Day was added as a tenth from 2023. The 2026 dates are listed below.

Because St Stephen's Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, Monday 28 December is the substitute public holiday. Dates are sourced from Citizens Information, the Irish government's public information service.

St Patrick's Day and St Brigid's Day

St Patrick's Day (17 March) is Ireland's best-known public holiday and falls on a Tuesday in 2026. St Brigid's Day is observed on the first Monday of February unless 1 February is a Friday, in which case it is observed on that Friday. In 2026 it falls on Monday 2 February.

Both are treated as non-working days for most businesses, banks and public services in the Republic of Ireland, so they should be excluded from business-day counts.

A note on Northern Ireland and the Battle of the Boyne

It is easy to confuse the island of Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and follows the UK bank holiday calendar, which includes St Patrick's Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July). The Battle of the Boyne is a Northern Ireland bank holiday only — it is not a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland.

If your deadline involves Northern Ireland, use the UK holiday calendar. If it involves the Republic of Ireland, use the ten public holidays listed above.

US federal holidays in 2026

The United States observes 11 federal holidays, set out in law (5 U.S.C. § 6103). Federal government offices and many private businesses close on these days. The 2026 dates are listed below.

Dates are sourced from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) federal holidays calendar.

Observed vs actual holiday dates

When a US federal holiday falls on a weekend, it is usually observed on the nearest weekday. In 2026, Independence Day (4 July) falls on a Saturday, so it is observed on Friday 3 July. This matters because the observed day, not the calendar date, is the day most offices close.

How holidays affect business-day counting

In both Ireland and the US, a business day is normally a weekday (Monday to Friday), and a public or federal holiday is typically excluded when counting working days. A five-business-day deadline that includes St Patrick's Day or a US federal holiday will land one day later than a plain weekday count would suggest.

The practical rule is the same as in the UK: confirm whether the contract or policy excludes public holidays, and check which country's calendar applies when a deadline crosses a border.

Counting business days across borders

When a deadline involves both Ireland and the US, count each side using its own calendar. A payment sent from Dublin on the Wednesday before St Patrick's Day may not be processed until after the holiday, while the US recipient's bank remains open. If the two countries observe different holidays in the same week, the effective processing time can stretch further than either side expects.

Using a calculator that supports the UK, Ireland and the US lets you check each leg of a cross-border deadline against the correct holiday set.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in Ireland in 2026?

The Republic of Ireland has 10 public holidays in 2026: New Year's Day, St Brigid's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, the May, June, August and October bank holidays, Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day.

How many federal holidays are there in the US in 2026?

The United States has 11 federal holidays in 2026, including New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Is St Patrick's Day a public holiday in Ireland?

Yes. St Patrick's Day (17 March) is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and a bank holiday in Northern Ireland. In 2026 it falls on a Tuesday.

Does the US observe holidays on weekends?

When a US federal holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is usually observed on the nearest weekday. In 2026, Independence Day (4 July, a Saturday) is observed on Friday 3 July.