22,000 calls answered by Kerry Samaritans this year

22,000 calls were answered by the Kerry Samaritans in the past year.

On average, there were 1,800 calls answered by Samaritan volunteers in Kerry each month.

Volunteers will be at the other end of the phone throughout next week and beyond, for anyone finding Christmas difficult.

Spokesperson for the Samaritans, Mary Nee says this time of year can bring feelings of loneliness and isolation.

She says volunteers are there to speak to anyone who wants to call them:

The Samaritans can be contacted for free on 116123.