Ulster Bank will begin closing its first wave of branches later today as part of its exit from the Irish market.
However, as part of a deal between the two lenders that will see them taken over, the 12 outlets will reopen later this month or early next month, rebranded and refitted as Permanent TSB branches.
It will have an effect on the branches at Ardee, Ballyjamesduff, Blackrock, Blanchardstown, Celbridge, Enniscorthy, Kilcock, Lucan, Ranelagh, Rochestown Avenue, Swords Pavilion, and Trim.
A further 13 branches will close next Friday, 13 January.
These are Athenry, Ballybofey, Ballyconnell, Belmullet, Buncrana, Donegal, Eyre Square, Killybegs, Shannon, Thurles, Tuam, Westport, and Wilton.
Customers should make the necessary arrangements to move and close Ulster Bank accounts if they haven’t already done so, as their current/deposit accounts won’t transfer to another provider automatically. Ulster Bank has reminded customers of this.
The bank started freezing accounts in November after announcing its exit from the Irish market in February 2022.
More than 70% of Ulster Bank customers with personal current accounts who received their initial formal notification in April or May had already closed their accounts, materially reduced the amount of activity in their accounts, or left them inactive by November.
800,325 accounts were opened in the three major remaining banks in the first ten months of 2022, according to data from the Central Bank of Ireland.
This is roughly twice as many openings as there would typically be in ten months, and it was likely brought on by Ulster Bank customers looking for new banks.