Eva Flaherty, 8: ‘Some parts about communion are really hard to understand’

[ irishtimes.com/generations ]

Eva Flaherty lives in Moycullen, Co Galway

There are five altogether in my family, including my hamster. My mum and dad, my little brother, Jamie, and Ellie. Ellie is my hamster. I got her for my birthday when I was seven. She’s called after Ellie Goulding, the singer, who has blond hair.

I love my hamster. We close all the doors and then let her out to run around. She’s nocturnal. I really want to have Ellie in my bedroom, but I’m a light sleeper, and she’s really squeaky on her hamster wheel all night.

My favourite food is pizza and fish and chips. The worst are olives and mushrooms. My brother, Jamie, is five, and he absolutely loves mushrooms. That’s because everyone is different.

Jamie is learning Irish dancing, and he likes watching Michael Flatley and Riverdance. We can hear him in his bedroom stamping away on the ground by himself. He says he's practising his Irish dancing.

At school I like maths. I like the way you can add up and take away. You can do it different ways: you can do it on your fingers, on paper or in your head. Doing it in your head is the hardest, but I like it best. Maths is fun, because it’s challenging, and I like challenges. I like art, too, because I’m really good at it.

Who is Michael D Higgins? I don’t know. I know someone called Michael, though.

If I had one wish it would be that my friend Aveen could come live with us – and bring her Jack Russell puppy, Holly, with her.

I am making my communion. I have an elegant dress that belonged to my cousin. We’re getting a bouncy castle for the communion, and that’s what I’m most excited about.

I know that you can’t make your communion unless you were baptised first. I don’t really know what communion means. I thought I knew what it was, but I have just totally forgotten it now. Some parts about communion are really hard to understand.

I think that people who have good behaviour in their lives go on after they die, and then they come back again as a baby and have another life. I have probably come back from another life, although I don’t remember it.

The difference between adults and children is that children have more imagination. They believe in the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy and Santa and all that. It’s nice being a child, because you get to live a longer life than an adult, and you don’t spend much money.

I think going to school is like doing a job, and probably we should get paid to go to school. When I grow up I want to be a dolphin trainer. Or design dresses. Or both.