Living abroad, living it up, or just living - where do you see yourself in 20 years? Róisín Ingle asks a selection of people
'It would be cool if I was on the back of a jeep racing across some war zone reporting about a crisis'
Andrew Byrne (20) is studying history and politics in Trinity College Dublin. He is on the committee of the "Hist" Society, writes for Trinity News and is a member of the Young Greens.
"The opportunities are so vast that I found this a scary thing to be thinking of. But leaving that aside, it would be kind of cool if at 40 I was on the back of a jeep racing across some war zone reporting about a crisis that is going on in the world. Studying history you get to learn about these kind of events from the past but it would be incredible to actually be a part of it. I know I will have had itchy feet quite a lot by the time I am 40 and will have travelled quite widely and lived abroad for a few years. I would like to be in a committed relationship but don't think I will want children. As far as Ireland is concerned I hope by 2025 it has turned into a more tolerant and welcoming place, and that it's not so Americanised that it has become some random country with nothing to distinguish it from anywhere else."
'Three boys and a girl ... though I don't even intend to seriously consider having kids until I'm 35'
Caoimh McCarthy (18) is from Limerick and is studying English, History, Philosophy and Classical Civilisation at NUI Galway. She has written for the Limerick Leader and last summer had her first play produced by Limerick Youth Theatre.
"Thinking about this on the bus on the way home from Galway to Limerick, it occurred to me that my aspirations for the future have completely changed since I was 16. The big plan then was to live fast, die in a bedsit at 30 and get published posthumously as a tragic, literary genius. Now? Well I'd kind of like to be settled down by the time I'm 30, having done all the travelling and whatever else the average teenager aspires to. I'd imagine I'd still be writing, probably still in the "coming of age" genre, and might even have managed to finish a film script. I hope I keep my friends. I like the idea of having people around who can say "do you remember that time when we were 15 and ..." I imagine life will have all worked out perfectly and I'll have a comfortable house and someone who will dance with me at parties even though I'll step on his feet. As for kids, three boys and a girl. Bit of a biological miracle there since I don't even intend to seriously consider having kids until I am 35 and I'd like to be finished with them by the time I am 38. If I do actually end up alone in a bedsit then I have a cunning plan. My first boyfriend will probably be Taoiseach by then and the future Tiger Woods will be the guy who used to copy my maths homework. I'm sure I can manage a few tabloid exclusives and a couple of tell-all books out of that!"
'I live in a council flat; then we'll have our own house'
Lisa Berigan (28) lives in Ringsend, Dublin 4 with her husband Paul and their one-year-old daughter, Katie. Working as editorial assistant on local paper News 4, she recently went back to school to study for her Leaving Cert again so she could fulfil her dream of being a teacher.
"Hopefully by the age of 48 I will have achieved what I set out to do when I went back to repeat the Leaving. I'll have been to college and established myself as a primary school teacher and will still be working. I would hope to stay in Ringsend definitely because I just don't want to live anywhere else. At the moment I live in a council flat but by then we will have our own house. I will be financially stable and in a steady job and I imagine by that age I will be well travelled, what with all the summer holidays teachers get. I want to have seen New York and Australia by that time. I hope my daughter will be in college. That's what I will be pushing her to do anyway, because I don't want her to make the mistakes I did. I'll still be with Paul unless I get loads of plastic surgery and dump him for a younger model. Anything is possible these days."
'My ambition is to live in a flat where you can't do the washing-up while sitting on the loo'
David O'Doherty (28) is a comedian and author of the children's book Ronan Long Gets It Wrong. He grew up in Sandymount, Dublin 4, but now lives in a bedsit in Ballsbridge "close to Dublin's glamorous canal and the Czech Embassy".
"By 2025 I am going to have moved beyond being a comedian to being a brand, a lifestyle even. I will have a full clothing range in my name, a line of eau de Doherty and my own make of cars. This brand will take inspiration from the St Bernard model. He started off as a dog that saves people, and now he is at the pinnacle of a huge empire of cheap products that last for six months. You would think I would be loaded but I won't be because there is only one bottle of eau de Doherty and I probably bought it myself. Basically my ambition is to live in a flat where the fridge doesn't keep me awake at night and where you can't do the washing-up while sitting on the loo. By the year 2025, Ireland will be getting underfloor heating under the entire country so I would like to be still living here, just with a quieter fridge. Anyway, time travel will probably have been invented by then so I will just possibly come back and do it all again. I may even redo this interview. For all you know I may have already redone it. Spooky or what?"
'I see an easy, simple life. Mornings will be lazy and afternoons spent working in the healing centre'
In a couple of weeks Biba Logan (30) will marry her boyfriend Niall in Las Vegas, a union that will be celebrated with a party for family and friends in February. A yoga teacher and healer, she currently provides one-on-one lessons for people and offers other therapies in her home in Glasthule, Co Dublin. Her website is www.bibayoga.com.
"I have a very clear idea of where I want to be when I am 50, so that question doesn't phase me at all. I see a very easy, simple life where my mornings will be lazy and my afternoons fulfilled by my work in the healing centre that will be in my home.
There will be yoga, of course, and also things like sound therapy available. It will probably be in the countryside, somewhere like Canada with, if God permits, four children and Niall, who will be doing his music thing.
I will probably have married him six times again since then, just because I know I am going to love getting married."
'We planned our lives in a way that didn't include babies, then we discovered Sheila was pregnant'
Diarmuid Ferriter (32) is an historian and presenter of What if? an RTÉ radio programme, which looks at what would have happened had historic events taken a different turn. He lectures at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and last September published his extensive work, The Transformation of Ireland, which covers the period from 1900 to 2000. He lives in Goatstown, Co Dublin with his wife Sheila and their four-month-old daughter Enya.
"I recently heard that historians do their best work before they are 35, but I am hoping that is not the case. At 52, I expect I will dispensing good advice to my 20-year-old daughter - if she is anything like my wife and I were like at that age, she will be a handful. Our daughter was a bit of a miracle baby because my wife had an ectopic pregnancy and was told she could never have children. We planned our lives in a way that didn't include babies and then last New Year's Eve we discovered Sheila was pregnant, so we had to replan our entire future again, but in a nice way. I would love to still be writing and broadcasting when I am that age, with Enya coming down to visit us in our little cottage in the west. I would like to think the work I have done will have stood the test of time. I don't think I would like to be still teaching, as you can get a bit stale. I would hope to be travelling a bit more, and one friend says I will be gardening at that stage,too, but I don't believe it - although the house we just moved into has a big garden. Most of all, I hope that I will be healthy and that I will still be laughing and loving."
'Ideally I'd be living somewhere like Tibet'
Karl Smith Byrne (15) lives in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny but attends Newtown Boarding School in Waterford. His project "Why doesn't light build up infinitely?" will be on display at the Esat/BT Young Scientist Exhibition in Dublin.
"By the time I am 35 I will probably be working in some kind of research centre on visual physics. Either that or doing quantum theory of physics, looking into all the whys and wherefores of that area. I would probably have a PhD and be respected in my field. I might possibly be married but I wouldn't say I would have kids by that age. Ideally I'd be living somewhere with nice scenery like Japan or Tibet, somewhere different. The other possible scenario, given that I am in a band, is that I become an incredibly successful rock star but, failing that, I'll probably be making musical instruments as a hobby. I think Ireland will be far more culturally diverse and it will have become a country where the rich are even richer than they are now and the poor much poorer."
'My label will be product-oriented and self-running'
Antonia Campbell Hughes (25) is a fashion designer based in Dublin. She started her label in 2000, and since then has also become involved in acting and music projects. PJ Harvey, Samantha Morton, Anna Friel, and Charlize Theron are among those who wear her clothes, which sell in shops from Dublin to LA.
"I have definite plans to move to LA, which will probably result in my morphing into the nightmare Los Angeles stereotype with an excessive triple-D boob job. This will be funded by whichever spouse I have bagged - perhaps Macauley Culkin, who is by then seeking refuge from a failed career, but sustaining a lavish lifestyle from Home Alone royalties. Perhaps I will be running an organic farm-type thing that fails to produce anything, but serves as a get-fit lodge for ageing ladies, attracted to it by the 19-year-old boy model staff. My fashion label will be a self-running product-oriented line - parasols and bikinis? - as I would have become far too lazy at that stage to put the effort into conceptual collections. Or perhaps parasols and speedos for boys, to once again ogle teenage models."
'I will be 65 and setting off for a skiing holiday, possibly with my grandchildren'
Linda Haughney (45) from Dublin is recently separated and living with her two children aged two and 10. She works part-time in a clothes shop after spending most of her life in fashion, starting with a job in Brown Thomas.
"I will be 65 by then and probably setting off for a skiing holiday, possibly with my grandchildren. I will be living somewhere warm I think, France or Spain perhaps. I had my own business in the past and I would say by that age I will have one again and will still be working in fashion. I am very healthy now and there is no reason why I won't still have my health. I grew up in the Liberties around a lot of very strong women. My mother is 80 and still raring to go. If I am too at her age, I will be delighted with myself."
'I don't ever want to be institutionalised by my job'
Ryan Tubridy (31) presents Tubridy Tonight, the RTÉ chatshow which continues its run later this month. He presents the award-winning Full Irish breakfast programme on 2FM and is currently living in Killiney while his Dalkey home is being renovated. He lives with his wife Ann-Marie and their daughter Ella (5).
"Never mind where I will be at 51, I find myself looking forward to the 60-plus years because I already have an awful lot in common with retired people. I love board games - especially Scrabble - fly fishing, crossword puzzles, train journeys and Frank Sinatra. I look forward to having all that leisure time to travel, and the free pass to go with it. I want to go away on holidays without worrying about rushing home to a big bag of responsibilities. At 51, I still see myself broadcasting and working extremely hard, but not in one monolithic presenting job as I get quite restless and like to try new things. I admire the U2 guide to life - same group different concept - and I don't ever want to be institutionalised by my job. I think I must have some form of occupational Attention Deficit Disorder. I think at that age I will still be living in Ireland, but may have spent periods working abroad. One big dream has always been to have a house on a lake in Connemara. The only time I stop talking for a few hours is on a boat with my fishing rod and a packet of Fig Rolls, so the house in Connemara is something I really aspire to."
'I will have just enough money, and I will go into town, shopping for jewellery and stuff'
Bláithín Ruadh (8) goes to school near Ballymun, and lives in Dublin with her two brothers, her sister and her parents. She likes horseriding, shopping and playing music.
"It is hard to look into the future. I think I'd like to have a job, maybe in a shop. Or a supermarket. I'd have a medium-sized house near Ballymun and I'd have a boyfriend, not a husband yet. He would be a nice person and talented, good at reading. I would have just enough money and I would go into town shopping for jewellery and stuff. I'd go to shows and pantomimes and concerts. I might study English at college so I would get lots of books to read. I would still be playing the violin and the tin whistle."
'I could be Ireland's answer to Garth Brooks'
Conor Mark Kavanagh (36) is a TV reporter with RTÉ News, currently based in the Oireachtas Unit. A singer-songwriter, he has been writing songs in collaboration with Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan. Last year he suffered a fractured femur, followed by an even bigger break of the same bone which happened when he was recuperating at home.
"To be honest, I wouldn't mind knowing where I'll be in 20 minutes, never mind 20 years. It's been such a head-spinning six months, during which I learned that not only do you not know what's around the corner, you might not even be able to walk around the corner when you get to it! At the rate we're going, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a planet to live on in 20 years' time. But, given the cyclical nature of things, I expect President George Bush Junior IV will be waging some kind of Galactic warfare on the new Iraqi President, Madame Hussein. Needless-to-say, wealth still won't be evenly distributed, and Ronan Keating and his pals will have gathered in Abbey Road to record Band Aid 40, in the absence of international political will to address the imbalances.
From my own point of view, I hope that I'll be 20 steps closer to enlightenment, and a better human being than I am now. On the other hand, at that point in my life it might just be quite satisfying to say "to hell with it, I've tried hard enough for too long on self-improvement and I think I'll just settle for being me". By 2025, my eldest step-daughter Beckie will be the age I am now and my biological daughter, Amy, will be 23. I intend to be physically and mentally fit and still enjoying their energy and dynamism at that stage.
Journalism is a life-long vocation. I've had a certain amount of success in songwriting, and in this age of Internet capabilities and home-recording, one good song can change your life. So I have my fingers crossed on that one. I could end up being Ireland's answer to Garth Brooks, or I might have to be contented doing Bono and Freddie White impressions for anyone who'll listen."
ONE FAMILY'S FUTURE
'I am determined to live to 100 or die in the attempt'
Vera Brady (79) lives in Churchtown with her husband William. She enjoys attending her creative writing lessons and knitting scarves. She has written several short stories and poems, including Ode To Alexander Graham Bell, written about the final telephone conversation she had with her mother before she died in England. Recovering from a stroke, Vera says she had a "beautiful" childhood growing up in Inchicore, Dublin. She has seven children and 14 grandchildren.
"Where will I be in 2025? Pushing up daisies maybe. I hope if that is the case that my soul will be resting with God. I am a lapsed Catholic and don't go to Mass but I say my prayers every night. I say them for my mum and dad and my sisters and brothers who are dead, that they may rest in peace. I say them for all my children and grandchildren and sometimes I don't get much sleep thinking about all the prayers I have to say. In my writing class I was asked to write a letter to Santa and I said "Dear Santa, please give me some of the drugs they give to horses, strength-enhancing drugs." I think if I am alive in 2025 I would be doing what I am doing now - relaxing, doing a bit of work and then relaxing again. I am determined to live until I am 100 or die in the attempt."
'I want to be happy and healthy and celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary'
Amanda Brady (34) is an award-winning designer who recently left her position as partner in the graphic design consultancy she co-founded. In the past, she starred in one of the first reality TV shows - BBC 2's Big Trip - and was a singer in Mondo Exotica.
"In previous years, my life and career have largely been shaped by drive and ambition for success, but there has been a shift in the way I've been thinking lately. I was reminded of something a good friend said, quoting George Bernard Shaw: 'Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself', and for me that's about creating the best person you can be. In 20 years' time, I want to be happy and healthy and celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary with Brian and a couple of kids. I want to continue to love and be loved by my family and friends. Ideally, I would have a career that in some way helps people and utilises my skills as a designer. At my farewell party, this question was asked of all of us: 'What would you be if you weren't doing what you do now?' to which I felt lucky to be able to reply 'I'm about to find out.' "
'I can't cook and I still won't be able to then'
Sarah Buckley (21) is in her first year in the Gaiety School of Acting. After college, she works in the bar at the Abbey Theatre, and travels back to Co Kildare on weekends.
"At the age of 41 my big goal is to be playing Lady Macbeth on the Abbey stage. It has always been my dream to play such a strong and evil character. Instead of setting my sights on Broadway, the patriotic side of me looks to the Abbey. I don't think I will have any wrinkles at 41, as my skin is quite elastic and hopefully won't crease that much. I think in 20 years I will have three children, but my mother will have had to move in with me because I can't cook and I still won't be able to then. My future husband - six foot four, drop-dead gorgeous, studly chin obviously - won't mind and will also be forgiving of my chocolate binges. Financially the way things are going, I will be living in a cardboard house but I would like to have a little home in the countryside. I have visions of me eating cake and chocolate bars all day in my little house. Is this a Dairy Milk, I see before me? See? I'm practising for Macbeth already."
'The place Paddy Kavanagh and Brendan Behan are probably in is not the kind of place I would like to end up'
Liam Brady (87) lives in Dundrum, Dublin with his wife Vera. The former tailor was an acquaintance of Patrick Kavanagh, Brendan Behan and Myles na Gopaleen, and as a younger man could often be found sharing a chat and a pint with them in McDaids pub.
"I won't be around at the age of 107 - that would be most unlikely. I could concoct something for you about where I might be, but to be honest if you are talking about the afterlife I have to tell you that I don't believe in such a place. If there is an afterlife, the place Paddy Kavanagh and Brendan Behan are probably in is not the kind of place where I would like to end up. Do you know what I mean?"