Macroom time capsule from 1996 predicted 'computers would be more or less controlling our lives' 

The class of 200 from De La Salle College, Macroom, back in the school courtyard as a time capsule buried 30 years ago was unearthed. Picture: Chani Anderson

Imagine a world in which you can drive your car on water and travel by Dart to Macroom.

These were among the predictions made by past pupils of De La Salle College in the Cork town, which were uncovered from a 30-year-old time capsule.

Former students reunited decades after burying a range of personal items, from cassette tapes to Premiere League sticker books.

There were also VHS tapes containing footage of activities like school nature walks. The boys had even remembered to include some celebratory wine for their future selves.

Luckily, the men, who are now in their 40s, had plenty to toast, having found success everywhere from New Zealand to Canada.

John O’Riordan and Shane O’Callaghan share a laugh as they reading labels on cassette tapes that were buried in the capsule. Picture: Chani Anderson

Those attending the event in Macroom were joined by their former teacher, Kevin Corcoran, who had led the undertaking as part of the 20-20 Vision project.

The initiative, launched in February 1996, challenged hundreds of schools across Ireland and the UK to explore their local environment and voice their predictions for the decades ahead.

Former student Daniel Murphy, who helped create the time capsule with his classmates, said they had initially intended to reveal its contents in 2020.

However, they were forced to delay the event due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Former teacher Kevin Corcoran checks the cork on one of several bottles of wine buried after he had made sure the pupils would be old enough to enjoy them when it was opened. Picture: Chani Anderson

It was Daniel and his former classmate William O’Riordan who decided to reschedule the dig several years later.

He said the predictions ranged from whacky to the “scarily accurate.”

“You can almost split them up into two different categories, one listing the very pessimistic views and the other listing the optimistic views,” Daniel said.

“The pessimistic stuff included an increase in drugs and crime and an expansion of Cork City as far as Macroom to make us one big city.

“Ireland would also have to reclaim land back from the sea.

A football sticker album from the time capsule recalls Manchester United’s glory days. Picture: Chani Anderson

“Another student believed that pollution would be completely eradicated and scientists would have more ways of generating power.

“I’m just disappointed that my prediction of cars driving on water and a Dart connecting Macroom to Cork City didn’t materialise.

“It’s frightening, in other cases, just how right we got it. I had predicted at the time that electric cars would be the norm by 2020.

“There was a lot of talk around solar panels and how they would become popular for creating energy.

A football sticker album from the time capsule recalls Manchester United’s glory days, with the club featuring prominently among the collection. Picture: Chani Anderson

“We all thought that oil and gas would be getting more scarce and there would be new forms of energy.

“Another one is that computers would be more or less controlling our lives. Seas would be stripped of much of their fish stocks.”

The capsule also offers an insight into 1990s fashion and music trends.

“Our science teacher, Kevin, had asked us to come in wearing our normal clothes so people could get a snapshot of what we were wearing at that time.

“If we had looked at them 10 years ago, they would have appeared out of date, but a lot of those clothes seem to be back in fashion now.

“Some people’s taste in music was quite old, even for that period. One boy listened to Thin Lizzy, who would have still been popular at the time and, of course, everyone loved mixed tapes.”

A letter written by pupil Denis O’Connor and buried in a time capsule in 1996 shows remarkable foresight, predicting solar power and internet access in every home. Denis is sadly one of two pupils from the class who have since died. Picture: Chani Anderson

Daniel was glad to salvage as much of the time capsule as possible.

“About 20% of the contents didn’t survive as a result of water damage but we’re so glad to have been able to retrieve what we did.

“There are past pupils living in different parts of the world so the plan is to send them their items from the time capsule by post.

“We have a letter from one student who didn’t live to see the time capsule being unveiled and a photograph of another late student. Our hope is to give these both to their families.”