Restaurants, stores, building societies and banks will be closed on Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day. In the run-up to the holiday, however, many outlets will be open longer, including some supermarkets which will open all night.
Outside Dublin, people will be able to buy a drink on St Stephen's Day. Christmas Day is the only closing day. A Vintners' Federation of Ireland spokesman said trading hours were otherwise normal.
In Dublin, drinkers are less fortunate as the pubs will be closed on Christmas Day and, according to a spokeswoman for the Licensed Vintners' Association, there will only be a few houses open on St Stephen's Day.
Restaurants will not open on Christmas Day or St Stephen's Day.
Hotel restaurants will be open to residents and those who have booked in advance for Christmas dinner specials.
The banks will operate normal hours today but will close at 12.30 p.m. tomorrow, Christmas Eve, and remain closed until December 30th.
The TSB opens earlier at 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 tomorrow.
The Irish Permanent operates during normal hours today , on Christmas Eve from 9.30 a.m. until 12.30 and will reopen the following Tuesday.
Although building societies will be open normal hours today they close on Christmas, opening again on December 30th.
Last-minute shoppers should have no trouble this week as many stores are staying open late.
The Dublin Chamber of Commerce said that with only two days of shopping left before Christmas, retailers report sales increases of about 7 to 10 per cent compared to last year.
Altogether, shopping in Dublin is expected to top £600 million over the Christmas period, with about £200 million of this spent on household food and drink.
Dunnes Stores is opening round-the-clock in seven branches tonight. These are in Cornelscourt, Dublin; Douglas Court, Cork; Newbridge, Kildare; Terryland, Galway; Kilnamanagh, Donaghmede and Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Nutgrove, Kilkenny and Portmarnock will open until midnight and Ballyvolane, Co Cork; Parkway, Limerick; and Tallaght until 11 p.m. All other stores will open at 9 a.m. but closing times will vary from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Christmas Eve stores will close at 6 p.m and open again on Saturday.
At Quinnsworth, four branches will stay open all night tonight at Artane and Nutgrove, Dublin, Douglas, Cork, and Galway city centre. Others will open until 10 p.m. On Christmas Eve, stores will open at 7.30 a.m. and closing times will vary from 5.15 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturday, about half the stores will be open.
Crazy Prices stores will have the same hours. Marks and Spencer will stay open until 9 p.m. tonight. Opening hours on Christmas Eve will be 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and branches will reopen on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. This applies to all branches except Cork which on Christmas Eve will open at 9 a.m. and on Saturday from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Superquinn stores will close at 9 p.m. tonight and open from 9 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. tomorrow. The stores will then remain closed until December 29th.
Brown Thomas and Switzers, including Cashs in Cork and Todds in Limerick, will be open until 8 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Clerys in O'Connell Street, Dublin, will open until 8 p.m. tonight and from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. tomorrow. Saturday will be normal hours.
The Tallaght branch will close at 9 p.m. tonight and open from 9 a.m. until 5.30 p.m. tomorrow.
Arnotts in Dublin will be open until 8 p.m. tonight and from 9 a.m, until 5.30 p.m. tomorrow. It will be closed on Saturday and Sunday and be back on Monday.
Telecom Eireann is offering special reduced telephone charges over Christmas and New Year. Anytime on December 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th and January 1st, 3rd and 4th all local calls will be charged at 12p for 15 minutes.
For Britain the charge will be 22p a minute; to the US and Canada, 31p per minute; France and Germany, 33p a minute and Australia and New Zealand, 68p per minute.
The special prices apply to direct calls only and not to Eircell, Chargecard, payphones or operator-assisted calls.