I'M FROM Cork city. I lived around the corner from school at Turner's Cross. I went to Colaiste Chriost Ri in secondary and Scoil Chriost Ri in primary. They were both run by the Presentation order, brothers.
I was extremely happy there - I loved it. Chriost Ri, the Presentation Brothers and Turner's Cross, they became synonymous in Cork. The school is very well embedded in the community.
I had my brother, Padraig, who is my twin, with me all through school. Although we are twins, we are very different - we kind of supported each other in different ways.
I was the extrovert. He'd kind of back me up physically.
In second level, he would go off to discover the solution to the maths problem. I was more interested in English and the humanities generally.
We were very close - we had a very strong friendship all through school.
Chriost Ri has a very strong sporting tradition. We played football, of course, and all the famous hurlers came from Chriost Ri.
In the 1960s, when it was a relatively new school, there was a tremendously strong spirit there. I started in 1964 in the primary and I went to secondary in 1973. The school reflected a particular age in Ireland - there was a strong sense of mission, and a strong Irish ethos.
It was a lovely time. I have some great, great memories. There were the occasional downers - for example, I fell and broke my hand three times in primary school. I remember when I fell off a bench and broke it we had all been pushing and shoving. I went into class and the teacher didn't believe me.
We had a very innovative teacher in sixth class, Tom Lande. He developed an alternative curriculum - he had us doing all sorts of things.
I was doing broadcasts in the classroom, called Around the World in 15 Minutes. My brother built a crystal set. Doing radio work like that gave me a lot of confidence in terms of writing and speaking.
Brother Colmcille developed my love of history. My interest in politics and current affairs came from my English teacher, Tony Power.
Seamus Lankford took first years and second years to the gaeltacht each year. We spent a month in Corca Dhuibhne - that was beautiful. He has been doing it for 21 years.
It was a whole new world for us, brown bread and jam. We climbed Mount Brandon, swam in Baile na nGall, we learned Irish in the morning and we spoke it then. Inn dhiaidh sin, dheineas an Ghaeilge in UCC. Gaeilge agus stair.
