While the rest of the country is opening presents and grazing on goodies on Christmas day, there are many for whom it will be business as usual. These are the people who provide essential services and help the less fortunate get through what can be the loneliest day of the year
Brendan Cunningham
Project leader, Focus Ireland
Brendan will be working from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Christmas Day at the drop-in centre for homeless people on Eustace Street, Dublin. This is the first year the centre will open on Christmas Day.
"The first half-hour is spent allocating the different duties and making sure the kitchen is set up. We expect to see upwards of 100 people. We have a lot of elderly guys and ladies, who are staying in hostels and insecure accommodation such as B&Bs or sleeping on someone's floor. They'll come in. We'll have turkey and ham and Christmas pudding for the dinner.
"We provide a level of support for people who want to get in touch with their families. It's a difficult time - we'll have someone taking care of that on the phone. It's a bit sad and lonely for them and we work as mediators if they want to ring and let their families know they're well.
"A lot of people are isolated and quite marginalised, and because of the way they look they get refused and get negative attitudes. We try to give them morale and an ego boost and try to get them through a hard period. We provide advice or, if somebody is sleeping out, we provide referrals and get them in somewhere for Christmas night."
Mary Scott Quill
Eircom telephonist
Mary will be handling emergency calls on Christmas Day, from 9.30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
"It's quite busy on Christmas Day. You have to handle the calls with care and sensitivity. The first call last year was from a suicide scene. That has stayed with me.
"We handle accidents in the home, heart attacks or maybe a stroke. A lot of elderly people ring in - it's one of the loneliest times of the year. They just want to hear a voice and say 'Happy Christmas'. They ring up to ask the time. Sometimes people put on their turkey and there's no electricity. We would handle an average of a call a minute. For anyone looking for an ambulance we have to stay with them until the end.
"You have a lot of children ringing for Childline, for whatever reasons. There are a lot of calls for the Samaritans. You allow a call the time you think is necessary. Experience teaches you how to handle calls sensitively. It was crazy here with the bad storms four years ago.
"I enjoy working on Christmas Day. It's a busy, satisfying day. There's great camaraderie. I'm a people's person and you are helping people. Sometimes, with the pensioners, I go away with the satisfaction of having made their day."
Teresa O'Sullivan
Care assistant, Maryborough Nursing Home, Douglas,
Co Cork
Teresa will work from 8.30 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Christmas Day. The mainly female residents range in age from their mid-70s to their 90s.
"It's obviously hectic. The more able-bodied will go out. We get them up in the morning, wash them, dress them and give them a shower and make them pretty. We do everything for them. About 10 out of 30 would only be able to walk with assistance.
"It's absolutely terrific because people make an effort - we have people who come in to sing, we play and dance around them and hug them, whatever it takes. Many of them are sad because they look back and see what has been and what might have been. We overcome that by encouraging them and giving them love and care and a kiss and a cuddle.
"It's a difficult day. Some will have visitors, but they do get tearful - but you get that on any day. That's normal. We put up balloons. It's home away from home. You have to give them the best you can.
"We make sure they get a few presents. We all have our own favourites - maybe one would remind you of your mother.
"Breakfast is at 8.30 a.m. They have elevenses and then we seat them at 12.30 p.m. for dinner. Supper is at 4.30 p.m. and then hopefully we get someone to come and play a bit of music."
Lt Cdr Timothy O'Keeffe
Captain of the LE Róisín
The LE Róisín will remain berthed at the oil wharf in Haulbowline, Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, ready to put to sea to answer any kind of emergency call in Irish waters, whether it relates to passing ships running into difficulties or walkers on cliffs getting into problems.
"The radio rooms would be monitored. We would be listening to distress frequencies and monitoring them. All the rescue services would be on call that day.
"On board, the messes and the recreational spaces have Christmas decorations. On the ship we will have traditional Christmas fare. Hopefully we won't be required on Christmas Day. Most of the fishing fleet will have gone home and very few pleasure craft go out. While there will be passing merchant navy traffic, the amount of vessels would be reduced at Christmastime.
"Hopefully we'll be looking for a quiet and calm period. The ship will be on the operational berth in Hawlboline with one-third of the crew on board. The rest of the crew will be on local leave. No-one will be up the country on leave. I'll be on board myself on Christmas Day to visit the crew, and assess the operations situation. The ship will remain ready."
Ray Conboy
Manager of 24-hour Spar shop, Ranelagh, Dublin
"Working on Christmas Day is part and parcel of the retail trade. There will be six of us in the shop. I'll be in at 7 a.m. and I'll finish at about 4 or 5 p.m. depending. I would expect be in the folks' house by early evening.
"Christmas tends to be very busy in the morning, but it's a relaxed day. We have a cup of tea and a bikkie. We usually do a special bake - gourmet bread - for all our regulars, and there's a bit of craic with them. We give them out a few boxes of chocolates. This shop has been here for a long time.
"After Mass it goes hectic. People stock up with milk, bread, cigarettes and mixers for drinks, and it goes quiet again in the afternoon. Santa Claus brings toys, but he doesn't bring batteries.
"It's a good-humoured day. You don't look forward to getting up early, but everyone is in good form. That's what makes coming in OK. It's different to any other day."
Jim Petherbridge
Chief prison officer, Mountjoy Prison, Dublin
Jim starts work at 8 a.m. He started working on Christmas Day back in 1971.
"It's a normal day, the prison has to be run, but we try and make it as pleasant as possible. The prisoners are locked up by themselves for meals. They are served the traditional full breakfast. Lunch is the same as any other Christmas dinner except it would be fairly early.
"I've normally found that everybody has accepted their fate - both them and us. There are about 20 visits that day - that would be for the long-timers. It's an emotional day for people. It's a lonely time for both the men and the women. We make the day as relaxed as possible. There would be extra rations of tobacco.
"Normally a visiting bishop says Mass. It used to be Bishop Kavanagh, but he died last year. He was a great character. I know his sermon by heart.
"They're out [of their cells] the whole day apart from meals. They are locked secure at 7.30 p.m. and we would head for our homes."
Father P.J. Hughes
Curate, St Mary's Parish, Athlone
"I'll have two Masses on Christmas morning. It's generally a quiet day. Everything happens in the two weeks before Christmas Day, but there's more celebration about the Masses on Christmas Day. They are longer. Everybody pulls their weight. The adult choir and the folk choir take part. The crowds are bigger, and there are morepeople around too.
"We stay around after Mass in case people want to chat. There are 18,000 this side of the bridge in the parish. Many people come in to wish you a happy Christmas and to say hello.
"I'm on call for the day. I'm going out to my sister and her husband, but I'll have the phone with me. I'll be called out for any situation where someone's life is at risk, if there's a traffic accident or maybe someone is dying or seriously ill.
"It's also a sad day. There are meals in the town for homeless people, who would normally call to us looking for help, money or food. Sometimes the guards or a family might call for you to come down to the hospital."
Staff Nurse Bridget Cunneen
Accident and Emergency Unit, University City Hosptial Galway
Briget's day will start at 7.30 a.m.
"It has changed a lot over the years. My first Christmas, in the late 1970s, we had one patient all night long. Last year we were busy all day with a range of ailments. A lot of people will not ring their GP on Christmas Day. It's getting busier every year.
"A lot of elderly people come and stay with their families and things get a bit much for them and they have to come to us.
"There's a tradition in the west of Ireland that elderly people go to the graveyard. They become hypothermic and end up with us.
"Accidents in the home happen, with people tripping over new toys and hurting themselves.
"Last year we decided to have a big fry-up and that's exactly what we did. I bought an electric ring. I'll be buying the rashers and black and white puddings on Monday and everything that goes with it."
