I STARTED here five years ago. Prior to that I was in the North Pole, obviously, but in my time I have also worked in a cheese factory and a leather factory in Waterford.
Each year, I start a month before Christmas, helping get everything ready for the boys and girls.
The first train each weekend is at 11.15am and it’s very handy in that the station is just 180m from my own front door.
I come up here to my little Santa’s Cottage. The children go on a train journey taking about 20 minutes, with reindeer to see along the way and a snow machine to make it all authentic.
When they’re finished they come to visit me. Usually they are bursting to tell me what they want for Christmas. They all seem to want these computer games, even the toddlers.
I have no idea what they are, but Santy always manages to get things right, so I just let them know I’ll be bringing them something great on Christmas Day.
In the meantime, I’ll give them a little present from me suitable for their age.
A lot of them will come with letters for me, so I know exactly what to give them on the big day. I have two elves working with me here and things are that busy that we don’t get hardly a minute of a gap during the day.
Last year, we had 2,000 children come through. I’ll be there for six train loads and might get five minutes for a cup of tea at most. As you can imagine, it can be very tiring, so I have a little Santa on standby if I need a longer break.
It’s great fun though and the children are really good. I’d know some of them as locals, so they’re amazed at how I ask after their mums and dads and aunts and grannies by name.
The older kids, maybe 10 or 11, will sometimes say to me, “But you’re not the real Santa”, and I tell them it’s a bit like football – Santa’s the captain and we’re his teammates.
They understand too that Santa can’t be everywhere, so he appoints us to come in his place. Lots of the kids will sing for me, which I love. If I can, I’ll get a sing-song going.
You’d be surprised at some of the ages of my visitors – an 86-year-old lady visited last year. I go to town on them and we have a great laugh.
The last train departs at 1.50pm and I finish up at 3pm. If the kids are happy, I’m happy. Today is a big day, of course. I’ve got to go help with the presents because the real Santa, our captain, is coming tonight.
Noel O’Sullivan is Santa Claus at the Waterford Suir Valley Heritage Railway
In conversation with Sandra O’Connell