Anna McGinty's birthday is October 24th. She lives in Tonragee East, Achill, Co Mayo, and attends the mixed Scoil Damhnait in Achill.
I've one sister, who's younger than me. My grandparents live with us too. My mum works at home and my dad's a small farmer. I set the table, sweep the floor, help with the dinner, fetch the cattle, feed the hens. The best thing about living in Tonragee is that it's quiet; the nearest town is 10 miles away. I'd like to keep on living where I do now. I want to be a vet or a paediatric nurse. In my last dream, I was playing football for the Mayo Minors' Ladies. My first memory? First day at national school. I don't really cry: the last time was when I finished national school and left all my friends behind me.
The scariest thing that's happened was breaking my arm when I was four. Spaghetti bolognese, that's my favourite food. I've never been out of Ireland, but I've been across the border, I've been in Antrim. The election? I've heard of Adi Roche, Mary Banotti and Mary McAleese. Are there others?
Since I was seven, I've been using a computer. It's great. I get a pound or two pocket money each week from my parents. It goes on magazines and books and I try to save a bit too. The last birthday present I got was a Reebok sweatshirt - it's still my favourite thing to wear. If I could have any one thing you can buy, what would it be? There's really isn't anything I want, I'm happy with what I have. A wish? Peace in the North.
I believe in God and heaven and hell. Heaven is a quiet place. I don't think hell is about fire and the devil. It's a place where people think that once you're dead, you're dead. Where they don't believe in God or in you and there's no such thing as your spirit. And God? He's the big person who holds the world in his hands.
Len Daly's birthday is October 20th. He lives in Poppintree, Dublin, and attends Ballymun Comprehensive.
I've one younger brother. The one thing I'd most love to have is a little baby sister. My father's a window cleaner. My mother's a caterer. Because she works, I get my brother up for school, wash the dishes, make the beds. I help with the dinner, put things in pans. I can cook. I cook boiled eggs, toast, tea. The food I like best is chicken curry and chips. I don't get weekly pocket-money, I get 50 pence or 20 pence when I ask. I spend it on sweets.
I've been to Spain twice. And England lots of times. The last time I cried was when I fell over and hurt myself a few days ago. My first memory is of my Communion. I had a mint-green shirt and a waistcoat. I don't know how many people are in the Presidential election and I don't know any of their names. I can use a computer, but not very well yet, I only started last year. My favourite gear is my Nike runners. The last birthday present I had was 30 £30 in a card. I believe in God, heaven and hell. I think hell is a place with fire and the devil, although I can't describe the devil. Hell doesn't scare me.
The best thing about living in Poppintree is all my friends. The thing I don't like is having to walk to school past the people hanging round the flats, selling drugs. No, I've never been offered any, but I know they're pushers. The last dream I had was that I had to leave all my friends and move away to a strange place. The best thing that's happened to me was winning a disco-dancing competition last year. I was the Starter Disco Kid and I got to dance in the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. That was brilliant. My one wish is to be the best disco dancer in the world. But what I'm most proud of is how my schoolwork has improved. I want to be an airline pilot. In 10 years, I want to have moved on from Ireland, live somewhere foreign, maybe Spain.
Zita McCabe's birthday is October 25th. She lives in Athlone, Co Westmeath, and attends Our Lady's Bower for girls.
There's just two of us, me and my younger brother. My mum works at home, my dad is an Emergency Medical Technician. I help out by making the beds, tidying up, cooking the dinner - pasta, sausages, things like that. I can make chips too. My favourite food is lasagne. There's no official pocket money, I just get a bit when I need things. I spend it on magazines, clothes, sweets. I like Athlone, I like all the shops, and they're building a new shopping centre soon. There's one thing I would really love to have - it's a jacket in a shop called Japan in Tullamore.
The best thing that's happened to me is starting training for competitive swimming, but what I'm most proud of is getting good results in secondary school. I can use a computer, I've been doing it since I was nine. Has anything scary ever happened to me? No, nothing. The last time I cried was when I hurt my hand. I've been to Spain twice, to Majorca. I've been to Monaghan, is that across the border? How many people want to be President? There's about four or five women, but I'm not sure of their names. Oh, there's some singer, is she called Dara?
I believe in God and in heaven. Hell? Well, there might be a hell. If everyone believes in heaven, then they have to believe in hell, don't they? God doesn't look like anything I can describe. He could look like anything, not just one thing. He or she.
In my free time, I read, swim, cycle, listen to music. I cycle to school as well. For my last birthday, I got a pair of Doc Martens and a fleece jacket. I want to teach art or be a professional swimmer. The last dream I had was that I won a swimming medal. A wish? To go around Europe as part of a swimming team. In 10 years time, I think I'll be living abroad.
Ross Gregg's birthday is October 5th. He lives in Belfast and attends the non-denominational Campbell College for boys.
I'm the youngest. I've an older brother and sister. My mum's a civil servant and my dad's a taxi-driver. They're divorced. The last time I cried was when they split up. I live with my mum. The best thing about where I live is that it's near Belfast centre and it's close to the Icebowl Skating Rink. The worst thing is that it's cold in winter. It's my job to walk the dogs. I get 5 ? £5 from my granny every Sunday, that's my pocket-money. I spend it on renting computer games. The one thing I'd love is a computer of my own: I've been using one since I was nine. My last birthday present was a cordless phone.
I've been to Majorca twice and England twice. In England, I went to Alton Towers, that was the best time I've ever had. We go to Salthill in Galway every year and I've been to Dublin loads of times. The Presidential election? No, I don't know how many people are in it and I don't know any of their names. I believe in God, but not in hell or heaven. I think when you're dead, it's the end. You sleep. It'll be like the time before you were born. My first memory is of playing with toy cars at playschool. In the last dream I remember, I was racing a car.
There's not much I can cook - beans, scrambled eggs. What I like best to eat is roast beef, gravy, potatoes. Learning to abseil, that's what I'm most proud of achieving. I want to be a lawyer or a vet. If I had one wish it would be for peace in Northern Ireland. Has anything scary ever happened to me? Well, I'm scared of spiders.
Roisin Lynch's birthday is October 28th. She lives in Kilkeaveeragh, Portmagee, Co Kerry and attends the mixed St John Bosco Secondary, Caherciveen.
There's three of us, me and my younger brother and sister. My dad is a farmer and a Coastal Radio Officer. My mum works at home. It's seven miles to school, I go on the bus. What I like best about where I live is the sea. And that it's a quiet place, and my friends live nearby. The worst thing is the smell when the farmers spread slurry. My mum gives me £3 a week, sometimes extra. For my last birthday, I got a pair of jeans.
No, I can't use a computer. I want to be an equestrian vet and I'd like to keep on living here, but I'm realistic, I'll probably have to move. Who's in the election? Adi Roche, Mary Banotti, Mary McAleese, Dana. Anyone else? Do you mean Dustin?
I last cried when I fell and hurt my knee a couple of weeks ago. The time I was most scared was when I was 10 and got lost in Blanchardstown, in Dublin.
I believe in God, heaven and hell. But I don't think about them. I don't have any pictures in my head of what I think they are. My earliest memory is of my first birthday and blowing out the candle on the cake. I can definitely remember it. I can cook - bread and scones and dinners. We have an orchard and there's lots of fruit, so it has to be used up. I'd say I'm a good cook. Curry's my favourite food. I've never been outside Ireland and I've never crossed the border, but the last dream I had was of going to England on a school tour. The best thing that ever happened was going riding for the first time. If I had one wish, it'd be for a horse.
Ben Teeling's birthday is October 25th. He lives in Clontarf, Dublin and attends Belvedere College for boys.
I've one brother. We're both adopted. My mum is a teacher and my dad is a doctor. What I like best about Clontarf is that it's peaceful, and my friends live nearby. My first memory is of being at the sea in Wexford and watching people jumping off the pier and wanting to do the same. I can cook burgers, pancakes, chips. What do I like most to eat? Sweets. The scariest thing that's happened to me is breaking my elbow a few months ago. That's the last time I cried.
I got a bicycle for my last birthday. I'd like to have a motorbike or a car, but I suppose I couldn't drive them. There isn't anything else I want. The last dream I had was that I was driving a car. I get £2.50 pocket-money a week. At the moment, I'm spending it on fireworks. The best thing that's happened was the time I flew a motorised glider by myself. It belongs to a friend of my dad's. Who wants to be president? Mary Banotti, Mary McAleese, Dana. I can't think of any others. I've been in Spain, Portugal, France, England. And I've been up North, to Belfast. When I'm older, I'd like to live either in Ireland or America. Why America? Everyone says it's a nice place.
I've been using a computer since Christmas. I can do my homework on it and play games. I want to work in computers or be a doctor.
I believe in God and in heaven. I don't believe in hell. If you die and don't go to heaven, I think you become a spirit and haunt places like houses. I can't picture God. I think he's all around us. He's probably a tree blooming in spring. I think heaven is like earth, except nobody fights, and it's very peaceful. If I had one wish, it would be for peace in the whole world.