Temple Street Children's Hospital (01-8095344)

Designed by young children for an Irish Times competition, these cards have an appealing amateurish quality to them. The cards have been printed for free by the Print Shop and are being sold by Boots, which is taking no commission, so all your money goes straight to the hospital.

Oxfam (01-6727662)

A refreshing absence of snowy scenes in their range, and a bilingual message for those who want to say Nollaig Shona Duit. Be sure to buy the cards - £2-£5 for 10 - in an Oxfam shop, where 100 per cent of profits get to the charity, as opposed to normal stores which leave them a miserly 8 per cent.

Unicef (01-8783000)

UNICEF has a huge range of cards with designs from all over the world to tie in with the charity's global work with children. Three-quarters of the cost price goes to the charity, which this year celebrates its 50th year of producing cards for Christmas. The millennium "2000" card is particularly eyecatching.

Focus Ireland (01-6712555)

The range designed by Emma Eustace in simple red, gold and black is definitely the coolest of the charity Christmas cards on offer. For the more conservative, Focus's other range of rich oil painting reproductions should fit the bill.

Cerebral Palsy Ireland (01-8727155)

Great value cards at between £2 and £3 for a pack of 10. Some traditional religious designs for those who still remember what Christmas is all about, with some quirkier modern ones as well. Sold in cerebral palsy shops around Ireland with all profits going to the charity.

Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust (058-54952)

Well-produced cards featuring work of Irish artists Tom Roche and Meriel Nicoll, including a winter scene from the Sugar Loaf in Co Wicklow and a picture of the sun setting over a frozen Grand Canal. Small cards retail at £3 for a pack of six and large ones at £4 per pack. Each card costs 29p to produce, and the rest of your money goes straight to the charity.