AS A CHILD I had a very romantic image of boarding school and I had long looked forward to going to St Nathy's College, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon when I was 13. I was completely unprepared for the homesickness, the loneliness and desolation I felt during my first few days there.

But things quickly changed: I discovered that the college was a wonderful place to make friendships, and where you were never bored because there was so much to do.

The school had tremendous traditions in sport and recreation. I was always an academic child, and had never been interested in sport until I went to St Nathy's, where I developed a passion for Gaelic football.

Looking back from a distance of 40 years, I am aware that academically and intellectually it was a wonderful experience. The curriculum was narrow and very classically centred; there was a tremendous emphasis on the three Rs and on languages - we studied English, Irish, Greek, Latin and French and were taught grammar and construction in a very formal way. We were given a great training in the use of language, comprehension and the ability to express oneself. Maths was extremely important, but there was very little science - for which the curriculum would be criticised today.

Like many other diocesan schools, St Nathy's enjoyed a strong academic tradition, and respect for learning and academic achievement was encouraged. The great emphasis that was placed on literacy and numeracy gave people the capacity to learn and the ability to explore new areas later in life.

The widening of the curriculum and the proliferation of subjects has caused a serious dilution of core skills. Nowadays young people don't have the same levels of literacy and numeracy skills or an awareness of the structure and power of language. Neither do they have the same capacity to learn independently.

Although the curriculum needed to be widened, I believe we have thrown overboard some elements of learning that are important to young people. The absence of contact with our cultural roots and a lack of exposure to the most seminal language in Europe is a huge lacuna in the educational experiences of young people and eliminates a common core of knowledge that; we all previously shared.

The only characteristic of St Nathy's that I disliked was our insulation from the outside world. We rarely left the college grounds and made only occasional visits to the cinema. We had no access to radio or newspapers and were ignorant of current affairs.

Throughout second level we had no contact with the opposite sex - but, fortunately, that was a drawback from which we quickly recovered once we left school.