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Niall Sheridan Eight years ago, Niall Sheridan’s
daughter was so sure that he should play Santa that she made him his own suit. “She encouraged me because I’m the sort of person who, for the most part, is on the jollier side of life. I live in sheltered accommodation, which one or two of the more cynical characters around here refer to as God’s waiting room, so you can do without that kind of negativity!” That’s Niall in a nutshell; jovial, optimistic, quick-witted. All qualities that serve him well when playing Father Christmas. Santa isn’t just a job for Niall; it’s also a responsibility. “When you put on that suit, you are something completely different to the person within, and what do you represent? You represent the spirit of Christmas. And therefore, you have no raison d’être other than to be that spirit. You have to leave yourself behind, and remember that when you go through the door, you are the man.” One thing Niall will never be though is a disciplinarian. A lot of parents expect Santa to give naughty children a stern talk, but Niall has no time for scolding kids. His attitude is less ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, more ‘Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2.’ “The behaviour modificators are the ones I detest. I remember one mother giving me six pages of behaviour modifications for the family home, which I completely, utterly and totally ignored. I’m not there to modify children’s behaviours, I’m there to talk with them, make them happy and move on. These are the sort of parents that when the child asks can I have a top of the range computer or gaming system, you get awfully tempted to say “I’ll definitely bring that to you!” “Kids always ask me about the naughty and nice list. I’m at a point now where I say “Look, I’m going to tell you a secret. There is no naughty list, it doesn’t exist. There are bad parents, there are bad teachers, but I have never met a bad child.” Niall’s compassion for children stems from his own childhood experiences. He was badly bullied as a child, which led to him leaving school early, and ever since then, he’s been sensitive to the needs of children. During his time as chairperson for a school board in England, he describes himself as “shit-hot on issues of bullying.” “Kids want to feel the same as you or I. They These are the sort of parents that when the child asks can I have a top of the range computer or gaming system, you get awfully tempted to say “I’ll definitely bring that to you! want to be validated. They want to feel treated as they should be treated. When I get certain kids in the grotto, they won’t verbalize everything, but you can get a vibe. You realise that this is someone who has issues of some sort. So you try and get a conversation going, and ask them how they are.” “The fact that you’re an adult treating them on the same level allows them to relax for a few minutes. They start to become children again, and talk about Christmas. As far as I’m concerned, if you relieve some of the pressure on kids for a few minutes, that’s a good day.” But even Santa Claus has his limits. By the time December 25th comes around, Niall is thoroughly “de-christmassed.” “I don’t have an ounce of it left in me by Christmas Day. It can be quite overwhelming. So I’m delighted to be able to go to my daughter’s and be treated and get back into my own spirit.” During the rest of the year, Niall does a lot of volunteer work. This past October, he qualified as an emergency medical technician for St. John’s Ambulance, and he’s flirting with the idea of doing emergency disaster response work abroad. Does he see Santa as an extension of his community service? “To a certain degree, yes. What’s that line from an old song… ‘If I help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.’ That’s kind of my motto. People are under all kinds of social pressures around Christmas. And I suppose because my face matches Santa Claus himself, I put a little more effort into helping people.” ● 28