All hospitality - including pubs and restaurants - is set to close on Christmas Eve.
Hairdressers, cinemas and galleries are all gone too from the close of business on December 24.
It has not been decided when the new lockdown will finish.
And the ban on all travellers coming into Ireland from Britain has been extended to New Year’s Eve.
The shock proposals have been agreed by the three Government leaders, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Green leader Eamon Ryan.
They will be presented to the wider Cabinet for official approval at a special meeting scheduled for 8am on Tuesday morning.
Spiralling Covid case numbers and a dangerously contagious new variant of the virus rampaging across the UK has “forced the Government’s hand”, according to a source close to the three leaders.
Non-essential businesses will be allowed remain open for now, but hairdressers and manicure salons must close indefinitely in two days.
But those allowed to stay open will be subjected to strict control of numbers in shops and queuing protocols are expected to be enforced by business owners.
Meanwhile, it is understood that inter-county travel will not be allowed after midnight on St Stephen’s Day, but this was a matter of some debate at the meeting and has not been fully agreed.
It has been agreed that a “hefty” new compensation package will be proposed for all affected by the new closures in the hospitality sector.
Golfers can celebrate this Christmas after the Government leaders decided to give the game a reprieve from the latest proposed lockdown measures.
