Anne Marie Mongan

Mick's Mag,St Michael's Grammar School, Dublin

Junior Category

LURGAN MAY SEEM boring for teenagers now, but it's practically Las Vegas compared to what it was 30 years ago. Although the town centre is dead, the Rushmere Shopping Centre can be reached by bus. If that doesn't tickle their fancies, it is just a matter of jumping on a train and heading to Lisburn Omniplex. For the teens who enjoy sweating and receiving multiple injuries, there are a variety of sports clubs, such as Sunnyside and Clann Eireann.

Compared to this, it was quite dull in the seventies and eighties. There was a disco every Saturday night at Clann i Gael Youth Club which went on until 11pm. After a night of wild partying, they would stop at the nearby fish and chip shop before running home to meet their curfew.

The one thing that both eras have in common is that school was the bane of their existence. Present students from St Michael's enjoy subjects like recreational PE, Religion and Health and Social Care. Their hopes are set on becoming social workers, forensic scientists and even astronauts.

Their parents weren't nearly as ambitious, opting for careers in administration or the fire service; jumping through fires and counting money was all the rage last century.

After a hard school year, there is nothing more relaxing than jetting off to Spain, Italy, France or Australia. Unfortunately, the most exotic place 20th century teenagers went to was Coventry.

It is safe to say that as far as teenagers go, some things will never change. Discos will always be the place to go and school lessons will always be boring.

But what rebellious fashion trends and quirky television programmes will the future bring? What can they achieve with mind-boggling technology at their fingertips? And how will the adults ever survive?