Cork pupils were treated to festive meal with visit from special guest

The pupils at Scoil Maria Assumpta in Ballyphehane had a very special morning recently, as the school treated them to a pre-Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, and a very special guest came to visit.

Chatting on the phone to The Echo, six-year-old Aoibheann Dunlea said she had no news, but she did concede that a famous person had visited earlier.

When the reporter failed to guess who, first suggesting both the Taoiseach and New Toy Man Patrick Kielty, Aoibheann said it had been Santa.

Ellie Young and Aoibheann Dunlea in front of the crib during the Christmas dinner celebrations at Scoil Maria Assumpta n Ballyphehane.

She hadn’t spoken with him, she said, but he seemed nice.

Aoibheann said she was hoping to get robots for Christmas.

Exciting

Ellie Young is also six and she said it have been a really exciting morning.

She said Santa had been “in good form” and had not put anyone on his naughty list, not even the teachers.

Asked what she hoped to get for Christmas, she said: “A giant Labubu and a phone, and I’m getting one present for one person for Christmas, for Darragh. He’s my cousin.”

Asha Griffin tucks into the ice cream, her favourite part of the Christmas dinner at Scoil Maria Assumpta in Ballyphehane.

Riley Carey is seven and said Santa had been entertained by the pupils.

“We did a dance for him and a song as well and we were really good,” she said.

Lucy Ryan is nine and she thought Santa had been very interested in all the children in the school.

“He was very happy to see all of us,” she said. 

Lucy said she was looking forward to getting a Labubu and an LOL.

Pupils enjoy a special Christmas dinner, served up by teachers and SNAs as the school marked the festive season together.

Fiadh McCarthy is 10, and she said Santa had been very kind.

She said he had promised her markers for Christmas, as she is very fond of drawing and likes to draw “everything”.