John Kelleher Irish Film Censor
Where did you go to school?
Primary school in Egypt, Austria, Germany, then Clongowes Wood College.
What was your best subject?
English, by a mile.
What was your worst subject?
Maths. I liked arithmetic but was useless at algebra, geometry and trigonometry.
If you could put a new subject on the Leaving Cert, what would it be?
Film Studies, or MIE (moving image education). A majority of Irish adolescents go to the cinema more than twice a month and watch two or more movies a week on TV or DVD, but to date MIE has only reached some schools as part of the Irish Film Institute's Transition Year module.
MIE stimulates visual literacy, creative thinking and critical response.
What was your earliest career ambition?
To be a movie director. I settled for being a producer.
Who was your favourite teacher and why?
Tom MacIntyre, the writer and playwright. He was an exciting and inspirational English teacher. We thought he was a really cool dude.
Who was your childhood idol?
Marilyn Monroe, just ahead of Maria Callas.
Who was your best friend?
Patrick Grayson (aged 6) in Egypt, Ginger Jones (9) in Austria, Gerry Wilkinson (11) in Clongowes, Vincent Browne (19) in UCD and Bill Gillespie (23) in Kentucky.
What are they doing now?
They are all doing well, thanks.
What TV programme/film most reminds you of your school days?
Lindsay Anderson's If . . .
What song most reminds you of your school days?
Johnny Tillotson's Poetry in Motion. It was the title and signature tune of a subversive revue we staged in fifth year.
What food most reminds you of your school days?
Porridge, which I detest. And I'll never forget a soup known as "Chef's vomit" at Ring Irish College.
What was your school uniform like?
No uniform, but on special occasions we sported a purple blazer edged with white braid.
What's the boldest thing you ever did in school?
Swigging altar wine.
What was your most memorable holiday?
My first visit to France as an exchange student.
What did you study in college?
Law at UCD and the Kings Inns. Drama at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, where I did an MA.
Would you send your own children to the same school that you went to?
Not Róisín, obviously. Macdara went to a different branch of the same firm, Belvedere.
What was the best thing about your education?
That it was Jesuit.
What was the worst thing about your education?
That it wasn't co-ed.
