It is the year 2100, and global warming has being stabilised, but it is still uncomfortably high temperature. The earth is almost constantly being bombarded by bad weather, from typhoons to acid rain. Much of the forest on the planet is destroyed, only small pockets remain, but no move is made to replenish them. As for the animal life, it is depleted dramatically, mostly confined to zoos, small remote areas and in factories (though these genetically engineered meat bags can hardly be called animals any more)...

Léigh ar aghaidh!
Click here to read on, and to read two other essays on the Travel Theme

THE HOLIDAY DISASTER by Ciara Loftus, aged 9, from Castlebar, Co Mayo

After all that happened on our holiday I was very glad to see Dublin Airport once again. Our holidays began normally enough but then, well…stuff happened. Let me explain.

Last September my family and I travelled to Disneyland Resort, Paris on a family trip. We stayed at the Newport Bay Hotel. (The name caught our attention when we saw it advertised.) We saw all of the usual attractions in the first few days, and later travelled into the city to see the world famous Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Elysee Palace. It was exhausting but very enjoyable. But on the return home everything changed.
On the morning we were leaving for home I awoke confused after a restless night of dreams. I dreamed that all of the Disney characters had come to life! Alice was looking at herself in the mirror, Tigger was bouncing around the room, Cinderalla was dancing with Prince Charming, while Winnie the Pooh sat on my bed eating honey. What an odd dream. Thank goodness I was awake. We rushed to the airport to make our flight. As I carried my bag onto the plane I noticed that it was really heavy. But no matter! Soon we were crossing the Irish Sea. As I began the story, I was very glad to see Dublin Airport again. Our holiday began normally enough but then, well…

We've been here before haven’t we? You see I have a dark and terrible secret. The March Hare has stowed away in my luggage, and his madness has put a curse on me. I must serve him and his guests at their tea parties every day for the rest of my life. I must tell the same story every day, (AND YOU MUST READ UT!) Ugghh! Go to go and serve that stupid hare!!!

The Round Room at The Mansion House, venue for IBAS Awards Dinner

Comhghairdeachas, a Chiara, as ucht an bua a fháil leis an scéal seo sa chomórtas DAA Book Awards 2008

The Funfair Disaster

One Friday evening, I was so excited. In school, I had heard rumours about the funfair being in town. My mum said we could go tomorrow night! That night I couldn't sleep because I was too busy thinking about the funfair.

On Saturday night at seven o'clock we were at the funfair. The first thing I did was look around. I saw the big wheel, the wildmouse, the fun house, the bumper cars, the ball throwing game and the water pistols. But then duh duh duh...

Everybody stopped everything. There was a massive creaking noise. It came from all the rides. "What was that?" asked everyone. A member of the staff said it was nothing, but in a quivering voice. I wondered if he was telling the truth.

I felt a bit dizzy after going on the waltzers. "Ahhh," I yelled as a water pistol squirted me in the face, but there was no one squirting me. It was squirting by itself! As I wiped the water off my face someone flew right past me. Another one and another one! They were coming from the waltzers. The waltzers were going super fast! There was a bang and the big wheel took off down the road. People were jumping off the big wheel, but they all got squished.

Lots of people took out their mobiles and dialled 999. They all said that there was an accident. But I know that there was a little more than an accident! Finally the ambulances and police came and cleaned up the mess.

Stiofán, Rang 3

We were on our way to our new home in Galway, because my father had got some "new job". Suddenly I felt really carsick but I didn't tell my Mum or Dad because they would just ignore me.
You see my Mum, Dad, my older sister and I never talk to each other. So today we certainly weren't talking. My Dad has a leather belt and if we said or did anything wrong my Dad will hit us with it, even my Mum is afraid of him. If we want to speak to him we have to say "Sir" after every sentence. When we finally arrived at our new home my Dad told us not to get out of the car so he could pick our bedrooms. It was three o'clock when we finally saw the house my Dad had picked the smallest room in the house for me. I rushed upstairs and ran into my bedroom and dropped my bags on the empty floor - boards. Then I ran into the bathroom and there I puked for ten minutes.

When I stopped puking I walked back into my bedroom. It was actually very nice. If I just put my wardrobe in and painted the walls black and put up my skull-head candles it would perfect. When I had finished unpacking I went next - door to check out my new neighbours. The two old ladies were very nice and invited me in. They said their names were Lily and Esme. Esme said that I reminded her of their younger brother Albert who had died a while before. The two old ladies said that I could have a tour of the house while they made the tea. So I went out of the kitchen walked down the hallway. On my left it said "do not enter" but I couldn't resist it so I sneaked inside. In the middle of the floor there was a trap door that led to the cellar. I quickly looked around and then climbed down the ladder. I looked around in confusion. I could hear something but couldn't see anything. I felt my way to the end of the cellar where I felt a doorknob. I turned it and walked into darkness. I found a torch on the floor and there at the end of the room was a middle-aged hermit. I ran out screaming. I stumbled to the door scared that the hermit would follow me!

I fell in the door where Lily and Esme stood motionless staring at the space behind me. They looked at each other and said "Albert!" I asked them who Albert was. They told me that Albert was their brother who had turned into a recluse at a very young age. Esme went back down to the cellar to check that Albert was still nice and cosy. She firmly closed the cellar's trap -door and walked back into the kitchen. Then they made us all a cup of tea and explained that Albert had always been afraid of people. Doctors had wanted to put him away into a mental hospital when their mother had died. Esme and Lily promised him that they would always take care of him. As they got older their biggest concern was that if something were to happen to them who would take care of Albert.

Róisín Nic Raois

Dúchas

Rugadh mé in Éirinn agus tá mé i mo chónaí inti le dhá bhliain déag anuas. Mar gheall ar seo tá an-ghrá agam do dhúchas na tíre seo.
Tá alán rudaí ceangailte le dúchas na hÉireann mar shampla ceol, amhráin, spórt, teanga, damhsa, litríocht, stair, tir-eolas, agus teagasc críostaí. Is iad na cinn is tábhachtaí domsa ná ceol, spórt agus teanga dúchasach na hÉireann. Tá na cinn seo ar na cinn is tábhachtaí dom mar bainim taitneamh astu. Phioc mé ceol mar ceapaim go bhfuil alán úirlisí dúchasach d'Éire, mar shampla an bodhrán, píopa uillinn, an fheadóg, an bainseo agus an ceann is fearr liomsa an fidil. Déanaim ceachtanna san fhidil gach Máirt. Tá alán ceoltóirí Éireannacha mar Sharon Shannon, Christy Moore, Séamas Ennis agus Seán O' Riada. Seinnann siad seo ceol iontach ar fad. Thaitíonn peil gaelach agus iománaíocht go mór liom. Imrítear na cluichí móra i bPáirc an Chrócaigh. Ceapaim gurbh é an peileadóir is fearr ná Maurice Fitzgearld agus an iománaí is fearr ná D.J. Carey. Gach bliain bíonn comórtas tíre do pheil gaelach agus iománaíocht. Faigheann an fhoireann is fearr sa tír, sé sin an fhoireann a bhuann cluiche ceannais na hÉireann sa pheil an corn "Sam Maguire" agus faigheann an fhoireann is fearr san iománaíocht an corn "Liam McCarthy". Tá na cluiche dúchasacha seo an-mhaith ar fad.
Is í an ghaeilge an teanga dúchasach sa tír seo ach ní labhraíonn gach duine í. Labhraitear an ghaeilge i gConamara, i nDún na nGall i gCiarraí agus ar roinnt de na hoileáin. Téim chuig gaelscoil Raifteirí agus labhraím an ghaeilge ansin. Bunaíodh TG 4 chun cabhrú leis an ngaeilge. Tá Radio na Gaeltachta ann freisin. Déanann Mícheal Ó Muircheartaigh tráchtaireacht ar na cluichí peile agus Iománaíochta i ngaeilge ar TG 4 agus ar Radio na Gaeltachta. Ceapaim go bhfuil alán gaeilge sa tír ach ní úsáideann gach duine í.
Tá an dúchas an-tábhachtach mar taispeánann sé an difríocht idir Éireannaigh agus daoine ó thíortha eile. Táim féin an-bhródúil as mo thír agus mo chuid gaeilge.

Le Fionnuala Ní Chuinn

The Funfair (le Rang a Trí)

Sticky pink candy floss fingers
Huge boxes of hot buttery popcorn
A juicy burst of mustard hotdog
Sizzly salty chips with ketchup hats

Whirling waltzers going round and round
Miami surf making a lot of sound
The crazy frog with screams very loud
Fun houses with ramping traps

Sick in my tummy from the frog
Dizziness from the spinning walzers
Nausea from the miami surf
Excitement on the big wheel

The bright lights could blind you
There were sparks in every corner
The crowd was screaming mad
There were people everywhere

I felt a shiver when I entered the fun house
Roll-a-ball horses went clippety-clop
Knocking the bottles was very hard
I didn't see anyone win a prize

The noises are loud,
With a thumping beat,
The sights are beautiful with swirling colours
Yellow and red in the dark dark night.

Is tír shean agus saibhir í an tír seo. Ta cáil ar an dtír seo i bhfad is i gcéin toisc go bhfuil cultúr tradisiúnta againn. Deir an seanfhocal gur treise dúchas ná oiliuint agus is fíor é. Tá an cultúr ina steillbheatha cé gur fhulaing an tír seo anró agus cruatan san am atá thart.

Dúirt Padraic Mac Piarais "tír gan teanga, tír gan anam". Is teanga í an ghaeilge a bhfuil a háit féin aici i gcultúr agus stair na hÉireann. Is cuid dár n-oidhreacht í. Tá an teanga aon mhíle cúig chéad bliana daois. Is sa Ghaeilge atá an litríocht is sine in iarthar na hEorpa. Sábhálann mórtas cine an teanga. Is siombail dóchais é go bhfuil níos mo scoileanna lánghaelacha ann anois ná riamh.

Tá tábhacht mhór ag an spórt in Éirinn . Bunaíodh an Cumann Lúthchleas Gael in 1884 chun ár gcluichí náisiúnta a chaomhnú. Imrítear an pheil ghaelach agus an iománaíocht ar son an phléisiúir a thugann siad. Tá siad á n-imirt leis na cianta fada agus bíonn an-suim ag gach duine sna comórtais áitiula agus go mór mór sna cluichí í bpáirc an Chrócaigh.

Tá an-tóir ar an rince gaelach ní amháin sa tír seo ach i measc Éireannach thar lear. Taispeántas ollmhór ab ea an Riverdance. Chruthaigh sé don domhain iomlán go raibh an rince gaelach beo agus corraitheach. Téann an damhsa agus an ceol lámh le lámh in Éirinn. Bíonn na sluaite ag fleadh ceoil na hÉireann gach bliain nó scoil shamhraidh Willie Clancy-idir óg agus aosta. Féachann gach duine ar Paddy Maloney mar Ambasadóir cultúrtha ar son na tíre seo. Tá an ceol Gaelach ina steillbheatha sna tithe tabhairne agus sna scoileanna. Bhailigh Seán ó Riada grúpa de cheoltóirí tradisiúnta le chéile. Bhunaigh sé Ceoltóirí Chualann chun ceol ár sinsir a choinneáil beo-m.sh ceol an Chearbhalláin agus na sean-chruitirí. Léirigh sé go raibh fuinneamh ag baint le ceol na hÉireann.

Cé nár chuala trácht ar na Fianna ? Mhair na scéalta seo ó ghlúin go glúin,cé gur scríobhadh na scéalta sa dara haois déag. Tá aithne againn go léir ar Fhionn mac Cumhaill agus ar Chúchulainn a chosain Uladh i gcoinne saighdiúirí an Bhanríon Meadbh. Nach bhfuil cáil domhanda ar an Leabhar Ceanannais-sampla den ealaín Cheilteach. Is sampla é an leabhar seo den dúil sa léann a bhí ag ár sinsear. Tagann na mílte turasóirí go dtí an tír seo gach bliain. Ní feidír a rá go mbíonn siad ag lorg na gréine! Tagann siad anseo chun iarsmaí an tseansaoil a fheiceáil. Tá Brúigh na Bóinne chomh sean leis na Pirimídí san Eigipt. Tá páirceanna Céide í dtuaisceart Chontae Mhaigh Eo mar chruthú go raibh an fheirmeoireacht faoi lán seoil in Éirinn na cianta ó shin. Insíonn gach caisleán agus gach túr a scéal dúinn faoin saol atá thart. Tá scéal eile á nisint ag logainmneacha na hEireann.

Ní féidir le náisiún a chúl a thabhairt le dúchas. Is scáthán na tíre ar an saol a bhí ag ár sinsear. Is é an dúchas a thugann féiniúlacht don tír agus don duine. Briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chait agus nach fíor an seanfhocal! Ní haon ionadh go bhfuilimid bródúil as ár dtír álainn seo.

Le Conchubhair Mac Pháidín

Clic anseo chun scéalta scanrúla a léamh!

Cuairt ag an Aerfort

Bhí an-áthas orm mar inniú mo bhreithlá agus bhí mo chlann go léir ag dul go Londain ar feadh seachtaine chun cuairt a thabhairt ar ár gcolceathrair. Bhíomar ar an mbealach go dtí an t-aerfort agus bhí sceitiminí áthais orm.

Nuair a shroicheamar an t-aerfort, chuir Daidí an carr i gcarr-chlós mór agus chuamar isteach san aerfort. Bhí a lán daoine ag teacht amach agus bhí a lán daoine eile ag dul isteach. Bhí sé an-ghnóthach ar fad. Bhíomar sa scuaine chun na ticéid a thabhairt don aeróstach nuair a fuair Daidí amach nach raibh na ticéid aige. Bhí sé an-chrosta. Chuaigh sé ar ais go dtí an carr ach ní raibh siad in aon áit. Bhí siad caillte. Bhí an-díoma orainn go léir mar cheapamar nach mbeimis in an dul go Londain.

Dúirt Daidí linn go seans aige ticéid nua a fháil agus dul ar eitleán eile. Bhíomar ag fanacht ar feadh tamaill. Bhí mé i mo shuí ag léamh leabhair agus bhí siopa in aice liom. Go tobann chonaic mé an popamhránaí Samantha Mumba ag dul isteach sa siopa. Lig mé béic asam "Féach ar Samantha Mumba, féach ar Samantha Mumba!" Bhí gach duine ag féachaint orm. Rith mé isteach sa siopa chun í a fheiceáil. Thosaigh mé ag caint léi agus ag cur ceisteanna uirthi. Thug sí píosa páipéir dom agus a hainm sínithe air. Ansin chuala mé mo Dhaidí ag gloch orm mar bhíomar in ann dul ar an eitleán eile. Bhí sceitiminí áthais orm. Nuair a bhí mé ar an eitleán, d'fhéach mé i mo thimpeall agus cé a bhí ar am eitleán ach Samantha Mumba! Rud iontach é go raibh na ticéid caillte againn mar anois bhí mé ar an eitleán le Samantha.

Tar éis tamaill thit mé i mo chodladh agus, nuair a dhúisigh mé, cheap mé go raibh mé ag broinglóid an rud go léir, ach BHÍ SÉ FÍOR. Lá IONTACH é sin!

Sinéad Ní Mhuirí

A flower!
Swaying in the wind
I am so beautiful!

But what is this?
A groping hand
I am plucked from my home!

This is not right,
I am shorter somehow
I feel as if I'm not all here.

My petal!
My gracious petal!
I am not finished
I feel so ugly!

I am but a stem in a vase.
A hand again?

I am rubbish!
I once was so proud
And now I am nothing
Nothing but rubbish!

Saileog

Mo Mhamaí

Seo í mo Mhamaí. Eibhín is ainm dí. Is banaltra í. Bíonn sí ag obair go dian san ospidéal.Is bean réasúnta ard, thanaí í. Tá gruaig ghearr fhionn aicí. Caitheann sí léine bhán agus bríste dubh-ghorm. Mar chaitheamh aimsire bíonn sí ag siúl. Is duine iontach í mar tugann sí aire don chlann agus do na daoine atá tinn.

Íde Ní Éanacháin

Shared Reading

We started Shared Reading with Rang a 6 in October and as a result we have read lots and lots of books. It is very enjoyable. One of the best books I read is "The Powerpuff Girls": Powerpuff Professor. Its author is Amy Keating Rogers.
The story is as follows:
Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, the three Powerpuff girls, like to spend time with the professor. But they're always fighting crime so they're too busy. Then the professor had a wonderful idea. He made himself a supersuit and joined the girls. Everything went well until the professor started to call the Powerpuff girls baby names. The girls had a problem. They gathered together and made a plan. The plan was to pretend to be hurt when Moto jojo next attacked and let the professor handle it. The plan worked brilliantly so the professor quit. So once again the day is saved thanks to the Powerpuff girls.
It's a very good book. We in Rang a 2 are very thankful to Muinteoir Magella and Rang a 6 for reading with us every week and for being so patient with us.
Go raibh maith agaibh go leir.

Aoibhinn Ni Chionnaith