A world of chocolate, sun holidays, soccer teams and financial freedom

Irish children are in inflationary mood, with billionaire status now on their wishlists.

Pupils at Scoil Ghleanna Maghair Iochtaraigh told Claire O’Sullivan about their hopes and dreams

THIS year, the Irish weather seems to be particularly getting to Irish children — as they’re all dreaming of escaping to sun.

Maybe the recession has made sun holidays more elusive; maybe it’s the icy conditions outside, but Irish eight- and nine-year-olds want out.

Last week, we caught up with some third class pupils at Scoil Ghleanna Maghair Iochtaraigh in Glanmire in East Cork where we spoke to them about how 2012 would map out — if all their hopes and dreams came true.

Paris was probably the number most sought after destination (it’s proximity to Eurodisney probably has something to do with this) followed by Spain.

Leah Bermingham said she’d fly her Irish friends over to the Iberian Peninsula should she miss them.

“I’d definitely have no school if all my dreams came true. I’d also go and live in Spain. I’d like to live in Spain and have a swimming pool. I might miss some of my friends but... they could come and see me once a week if they wanted to... I’d have a purple plane of my own. Purple’s my favourite colour,” she said.

One child said he’d “ban school” while another said he’d “ban homework”. Instead the children dreamed of days spent lolling around in a swimming pool.

And the chocolate industry certainly doesn’t have fears for the future: child after child conjured up images of living in a Willie Wonka-styled world where everything was made of chocolate.

Many more wanted to be millionaires, even billionaires, imagining a world where the word ‘no’ wouldn’t exist and where they could play video games to their hearts content.

“If all my dreams came true next year, I’d become a millionaire. I’d give some to my mum and dad and family. I’d let them buy what they want. They could waste the money on whatever they like,” smiled Jack Lowther.

Cian Healy beamed: “My dream 2012 would mean the end of school. Instead I would watch TV all day. When I got sick of TV, I’d play video games — like Modern Warfare 2. I’d also be rich and I could spend lots of money on computer games”

Surprisingly, many of the boys didn’t dream of being the next Rooney, Messi or O’Driscoll. Their sights were firmly set on owning the football clubs — seeing themselves as future Abramovichs or Skeikh Mansours. Another boy wanted to be the “King of Sports”.

Despite being a United fan, Jay O’Connell said his first signing would be Lionel Messi. Conor Lane wouldn’t be happy with one club, he wanted to control three as well as the Irish soccer team.

“I love soccer and so I’d own four soccer teams. I love Liverpool, Celtic and Tottenham and Ireland, so I’d straight away take control of them,” he said.

The influence of computer games was pretty apparent among some of the boys — with many desperate to turn video games into reality, whatever the human cost.

“I’d be a billionaire and I’d rule the world. I’d have Ferraris and Lamborginis. I’d cheat in games because I could. I’d get an army and I’d make the army powerful. I’d get rockets to destroy all the other countries. The only place that I’d keep is Dubai and Ireland. I’d destroy everywhere else. I don’t care if I kill people,” said Connor Cody.

Another kid wanted to “hold a gun, shoot a gun” while another wanted to wipe out “all the girls”.

Violence aside, most of their hopes and dreams were all built around the same premise — the ability to do whatever they wanted without any parental influence.

As for the one that made us laugh most? It had to be the crazy, brilliant mind of Colm Doyle.

“I’d love to be the ruler of the world. I’d tell the England team to never play well at football again. I’d like Ireland to win the Euros. If they do win the Euros, I’d like to go to Poland or the Ukraine and just shout out as loud as I could from a skyscraper ‘Ha, ha. We won. You lost. Wo-hoh’. I’d sing from the skyscraper.”