Christmas Holiday Arrangements 2024 for Services and Supports across Carlow and Kilkenny

Here’s some handy local information for you over the festive season.

Emergency Services

• An Garda Síochána: emergency line 999 or 112 or find details for your local station here
• St Luke’s General Hospital for Carlow and Kilkenny: 056 778 5000
• Amber Women’s Refuge can be contacted via 0818 42 42 44
• Carlow Women’s Aid helpline: 1800 444 944
• Good Shepherd Centre, Kilkenny:  056 7722566
• Caredoc is an out-of-hours family doctors service for patients with urgent medical problems who need to contact a doctor after surgeries close.
• Find a local pharmacy here

County Council Services

Festive Parking

Post Office

An Post offices across the country are set to keep to these opening hours with these delivery and collection dates while here are the postal dates;

Social Welfare

If you get a social welfare payment, the date which you receive your payment may change during the Christmas and New Year period. Details of all payment arrangements for this period are provided here.

If you are leaving the state over the Christmas period and you are getting income support from the Department of Social Protection you should let us know of your absence in advance of travel, you can do this by visiting your local Intreo Centre or Branch Office.

All department offices, including Intreo Centres and Branch Offices, will be closed on dates during the festive season.

Banking

Click on the following to find office hours and payment processing details:

• Bank of Ireland
• AIB
• Permanent TSB

Credit Union Opening Times

Carlow District Credit Union

St. Canice’s Credit Union, Kilkenny

Castlecomer Credit Union

Waterford and South Kilkenny Credit Unions

Travel

• Bus Eireann
• Irish Rail
• City Direct Kilkenny
• Carlow Town Bus
• TFI Local Link for Carlow, Kilkenny and Wicklow
• JJ Kavanagh and Sons

Other support services

Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, has launched its Christmas support groups online for people who may be struggling offering free services, including on Christmas Day.  Their online groups are available online on Turn2Me.ie so they are available to anyone on the island of Ireland.

These online support group themes are:

Christmas Day, the 25^th at 6pm – Christmas Blues support group

Stephen’s Day, the 26^th at 11am – Family Issues support group

Friday the 27^th at 11am – Bereavement support group

Saturday the 28^th at 11am – Family Issues support group

Sunday the 29^th at 11am – Bereavement support group

Monday the 30^th at 11am – How to manage anxiety support group

Tuesday the 31^st (New Year’s Eve) at 11am – Feeling Alone support group

Wednesday the 1^st January (New Year’s Day) at 11am – Feeling Down support group

Turn2Me offers up to six free counselling sessions, free support groups, a free meditation programme, a free ‘Thought Catcher’ online mood diary and free helpful articles, all on Turn2Me.ie