Arthur Mathews, writer, author, co-creator of Father Ted. He sat his Leaving Cert at Castleknock College in 1977
What is your most vivid Leaving Cert memory?
A big exam hall. It was very quiet.
Who was your most influential teacher and why?
Mr Walshe, my English teacher. He was quite eccentric. His dog once ate some homework he had taken home for correcting – or so he claimed.
What was your most difficult subject and why?
Irish. It seemed pointless to learn it, and I had no interest in it. Also, maths. I was terrible at that, too.
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And your favourite?
Art.
Can you recall what grades or points you received?
Vaguely. I had completely average results. I did better in some subjects than I deserved – I think these were science and biology, and I got a disappointing mark in subjects I really liked, such as history.
How important were the results for you, ultimately?
Not important at all.
What did you do after secondary school?
I went to the College of Marketing & Design, which was then based in Parnell Square, to do a four-year design course.
What would you change about the Leaving Cert?
I know so little about it these days that I couldn’t give an informed answer.
What advice would you give to your Leaving Cert self?
I should have given a lot more thought to what I planned to do after school. I even managed to miss the deadline for applications to art colleges such as NCAD (National College of Art and Design) and Dún Laoghaire Art College. That was very shoddy on my part.
In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
