The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said its Childline service received 1, 040 contacts from children across Ireland on Christmas Day.
It said many of the contacts, made through Childline’s free phone, web chat and ‘live’ text services, related to family difficulties over the holiday period.
The charity said the service, which was manned by 61 volunteers on Christmas Day, also dealt with a number of contacts from children who had experienced the loss of a family member or family break-up earlier in the year.
There were also a number of contacts from children experiencing loneliness, mental health issues and suffering from the effects of alcohol abuse in the home.
"Christmas should mean safety, warmth and happiness, but for many children that call our Childline service, this isn't the reality," said the charity's chief executive Grainia Long.
“Some children who contacted Childline on Christmas day are experiencing loneliness, loss and domestic violence over this festive period which makes what should be a happy time very difficult for them but thanks to our dedicated volunteers, Childline is here to listen and support them.”
How to contact Childline:
By phone: Childline’s 24 hour phone service is at 1800 666666.
By text: Text the word: ‘talk’ to 50101 (service available from 10am to 4am)
Live online chat: Available from 10am to 4am, live chat on Childline.ie
Via the web: ispcc.ie and childline.ie