Children answer all the big questions about Santa and the magic of Christmas

Why does Santa live in the North Pole – and how come adults never get to see him? These and other mysteries – such as just how fast his reindeer can fly, and how Mrs Claus feels about being home alone on Christmas Eve - are explained by the pint-sized Santa experts of Kilcrohane National School on West Cork’s remote Sheep’s Head Peninsula. Ailin Quinlan reports.

TABLE ONE

Mary Ellis (5) Ahakista Grace O Brien (5) Kilcrohane Chloe O’Sullivan (5) Kilcrohane Rachel O Sullivan (5) Kilcrohane

“When I was three I heard him from upstairs.

“I could hear him bumping and thumping and I could hear Rudolph the reindeer outside too, stamping his feet and saying ‘Hurry Up there, Santa!’

Rachel O Sullivan (5)

What does Santa get to eat at your house?

“Chips and mayonnaise. He really likes that. He gets a baby’s bottle of milk too.”

Mary Ellis (5)

“Mince pies and a bottle of wine.” Chloe O’Sullivan (5)

Why does Santa live in the North Pole?

“Because he needs to be far, far away from the children so they can’t see the presents when he wraps them up. They have to be a surprise.” Chloe O’Sullivan (5)

How does Santa manage to deliver presents to every single good child on Christmas Eve – and how does he fit them all into the sleigh?

“Magic!

Grace O Brien (5)

“He’s just magic! Once I tried to be Santa and go up in the air by jumping but I couldn’t fly. I’d like to be magic too.” Mary Ellis (5)

How does Santa always seem to know who’s naughty and who’s nice?

“Sometimes your Mum will write and tell him you’re good – but Santa’s robins are there, all keeping an eye on you too!”

Rachel O Sullivan (5)

How can Santa’s reindeer fly?

“If his sleigh can fly, the reindeer can fly as well – they get the magic off the sleigh!”

Chloe O’Sullivan (5)

What do Santa’s reindeer get to eat at your house?

“We give the reindeer carrots and once we heard them going crunch, crunch, crunch after my daddy put the carrots out on the drive in a bowl!”

Chloe O’Sullivan (5)

TABLE TWO

Cian O’Mahony (4) Kieran O’Sullivan (4) Cara McGettigan (5) Tom Daly (5)

“180 mph.”

Cian O Mahony (4)

“As fast as my uncle Keith’s rally car.”

Cara McGettigan (5)

Did you ever see Santa putting out the presents in your house?

“I saw him one time when he was in the sittingr oom. He gave me a John Deere with yellow wheels and a bucket. I crept downstairs when my mum and Dad were asleep and I just peeped in the door of the sitting room.”

Tom Daly (5)

“I heard Santa coming down the chimney. First I heard a rustling sound in the chimney so I whizzed down the banisters.

“Then I put my feet down on the ground and I crept into the sitting room and Santa nearly saw me, but I shot back up the stairs again.

“He didn’t see me but I saw him!

“I was five then.”

Cara McGettigan (5)

How can his reindeer fly?

“They have magic powers just for Christmas Eve. They get the powers to help them.”

Tom Daly (5)

How does Santa always seem to know who’s naughty and who’s nice?

“This robin goes all over the world spying on children. He has small little eyes that can look down into small places and catch you doing bold things and then he goes back and wakes Santa up and tells him.”

Tom Daly (5)

“I see the robins pecking on the window and I am very good then - I am always nice to my parents anyway.” Cara McGettigan (5)

How come adults never see Santa Claus?

“First of all they don’t go downstairs. And they’re a bit more stupid than children”

Tom Daly (5)

“I think adults don’t want to see Santa because it might freak them out.”

Kieran o Sullivan (4)

“Adults don’t see Santa because they don’t want toys; adults are boring.”

Cian O Mahony (4)

What do Santa and his reindeer get to eat at your house?

“We put out this special sparkly stuff for the reindeer to eat – it makes them stay there til Santa is ready, because otherwise they’d fly off without him.”

Tom Daly (5)

“Carrots for the reindeer and mince pie and a glass of water for Santa.”

Cara McGettigan (5)

How does Mrs Claus feel about being home alone on Christmas Eve?

“She doesn’t get cross; she just gets a bit mad because Santa’s out all day giving presents to boys and girls and she’s on her own.”

Kieran O’ Sullivan (4)

“She gets cross because Santa won’t let her come on the sleigh with him and she’s left in the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Maybe he brings her a nice present.”

Tom Daly (5)

Why does Santa live in the north pole?

“Because he likes flying around with his reindeer and no one can see him.”

Cara McGettigan (5)

TABLE THREE

Kevin Nash (6) Art O’ Leary (6) Stephen O’Donovan (6) Daragh Finbar O’Sullivan (6)

How does Santa manage to deliver presents to every single good child on Christmas Eve?

“The reindeer are magic and they help him to fly really fast through the air – sure, if he had to drive he’d never make it!”

Art O’ Leary (6)

How do Santa and Mrs Claus spend Christmas Day?

“They go off for a run with the reindeers.”

Stephen O’Donovan (6)

“They’re married so they have a nice dinner.”

Daragh Finbar O’Sullivan (6)

Did you ever see him putting out the presents in your house?

“I’ve seen him loads of times down in the sitting room bringing the presents in the door. I saw Santa every single time he came to our house and twice I gave him a hug. He didn’t know my name but he gave me an electric rally car that you drive with a remote control.”

Stephen O’Donovan (6)

“My Dad saw Santa’s shadow.” Art O’ Leary (6)

How fast do the reindeer go?

“90 km an hour.”

Stephen O’Donovan (6)

“200 km an hour.”

Daragh Finbar O’Sullivan (6)

“A trillion km an hour.”

Art O’ Leary (6)

How does Santa always seem to know who’s naughty and who’s nice?

“He has this magic book and he can see if you are a good child.”

Daragh Finbar O’Sullivan (6)

“Invisible cameras that look down on you and watch everyone.” Stephen O’Donovan (6)

Why does Santa live in the north pole?

“So people won’t find his secret lair because if they did they’d steal all the presents.”

Art O’ Leary (6)

TABLE FOUR

Jasmine Ellis (8) Mark O’Sullivan (7) Brian Nash (8) Aoibhe O Mahony (8)

Why does Santa live in the north pole?

“His factory is so big that only a place like the North Pole is big enough for it.”

Brian Nash (8)

How does Santa manage to deliver presents to every single good child on Christmas Eve?

“It’s different times in different places around the world, so sometimes it’s daytime in one place and it’s the night somewhere else.

“He just works that out and that’s how he does it.”

Jasmine Ellis (8)

“If he gets delayed anywhere, he just makes the reindeer go faster.” Brian Nash (8)

How does he manage to get all those presents into the sleigh?

“He uses a magic spell to make the presents smaller so they fit into the sleigh and when he takes them back out they get big again.” Aoibhe O Mahony (8)

“He has a secret room in the sleigh and he packs the presents there.”

Brian Nash (8)

How do the reindeer fly?

“They have invisible wings which are magic – they are stuck onto the reindeer with this sticky stuff.”

Jasmine Ellis (8)

“Santa has these sort of special magic reins and when they go on to the reindeer they make the reindeer fly.” Brian Nash (8)

How fast do the reindeer go?

“1,000 mph.”

Brian Nash (8)

“One million and three mph.” Jasmine Ellis (8)

“Five million mph.”

- Mark O’Sullivan (7)

How does Mrs Claus feel about being home alone on Christmas Eve?

“She’s busy getting a nice dinner for Santa – spuds and beans and lamb chops .”

Aoibhe O Mahony (8)

TABLE FIVE

Conor Nash (10) Luke McCarthy (7) Rioghan McGettigan (6) Alan O’Sullivan (7)

“They sleep in – adults like sleeping in because they do a lot of work.”

Luke McCarthy (7)

How does Mrs Claus feel about being home alone on Christmas Eve?

“She keeps the fire going.” Alan O’Sullivan (7)

How do the reindeer fly?

“Santa feeds them special flying food.”

Luke McCarthy (7)

“Maybe they’re robots.” Rioghan McGettigan (6)

How does Santa manage to deliver presents to every single good child on Christmas Eve?

“He’s got invisible engine-boosters on the sleigh.”

Rioghan McGettigan (6)

“He has robot reindeers with engines.” Luke McCarthy (7)

How does he get all the presents into the sleigh?

“He sends out teams of elves first. They go out around the world and they wait for Santa to come and collects presents from them.

“Then he puts them in peoples’ houses.” Conor Nash (10)

How does Santa always seem to know who’s naughty and who’s nice?

“He has a special magic glass ball that he looks into.

“He sees everyone so he knows who is good and who is bad.” Alan O’Sullivan (7)

Did you ever see him putting out the presents in your house?

“I saw him in the sitting room putting our presents under the tree. I was peeping through the keyhole and then I ran into the kitchen and played very quietly so he couldn’t hear me.

“But my brother went in and said hello.” Luke McCarthy (7)

“It’s not good to say hello to Santa. I never saw him but I’m going to wait for him this Christmas. I’d say hello to him but he might faint.”

Alan O’Sullivan (7)

“I’m dying to see him – I know where the Christmas tree is and I’ll find out when it’s midnight and then I’ll just peep into the sitting room and keep watching.”

Rioghan McGettigan (6)

What do Santa and his reindeer get to eat at your house?

“We give Rudolph three biscuits. We give Santa two biscuits.” Alan O’Sullivan (7)