Neil Watkins, actor & Alternative Miss Ireland 2005
Where did you go to school? I went to St Fiachra's primary in Beaumont, Dublin, which I loved. We cried bitterly on our last day together in sixth class. Secondary was hell in St Joseph's, Fairview. The uniform was itchy and there was a general GAA sport awareness and greyness. To me it felt like the Middle Ages. But I have to admit the craic with the lads was 90. There should be an awards ceremony for the best craic in school and the lads in Joey's would get it. We did the most stupid things to annoy the teachers. It felt like St Trinian's for boys. After that, I went to Mount Temple.
What was your best subject? Art.
Who was your favourite teacher? Mr Creedon. We had him in third and fourth class in St Fiachra's. He was a great inventor of imaginative ways to teach us.
Who was your childhood idol? Santy
Who was your best friend? Cathal Keegan from my road. He was the year ahead of me. We've been partners in crime since nappies.
What TV show/film most reminds you of your schooldays? Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It's my all-time favourite. I was a bit of a Ferris myself from time to time.
What song most reminds you of your schooldays? Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.
What food most reminds you of your schooldays? Tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches ... small cartons of milk ... chip butties ... Cadbury's cream eggs.
Who did you take to your debs? My drama training in London started on September 19th. This was the day of both my Mount Temple debs and Joey's, so I couldn't go. I would have brought the actress Fiona O'Toole. I did go to Fiona's debs however. She's still a great friend.
Would you send your children to the same school you went to? I'd send them to Mount Temple for sure. But no way Joey's. Especially if they were girls.
What was the best thing about your education? Mount Temple. No uniform. Teachers who were able to keep a class under control without talking down to them. They had a very liberal understanding that you could have a career in art if you wanted it. U2 had gone there and it had paid off for them. So the teachers totally encouraged me to pursue the dream of acting. They were also very good at spotting if a kid was being bullied or if he or she was having problems fitting in.
What was the worst thing about your education? Lord knows, teaching is a very hard job. But it's the bad teachers that stand out - bad teachers who ended up as nervous wrecks. I hated the way teachers were harsh when kids were genuinely having difficulty learning. Also I'll never forget the bull the religion teachers used to ram down our throats. "Masturbation is a sin etc." I don't think it stopped anyone.
