Current job: Senator and founder of the Irish supermarket chain Superquinn, which the Quinn family recently sold for an estimated €270 million.

What schools did you go to? Holy Faith in Clontarf, Dublin, then Koska College in Clontarf, which has now closed down, from eight to 12, followed by Newbridge College, Co Kildare.

Best subject? Latin.

Worst subject? Trigonometry.

What's the boldest thing you ever did in school?

When swimming in Newbridge, I went over the weir on the Liffey.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?

Louis Roden, the headmaster in Koska whetted my appetite for languages at the early age of nine.

Who was the object of your first crush?

Elizabeth Taylor in National

Velvet. She was about 13 and I was about 12!

What was your earliest career ambition?

To go into business for myself.

Were you cool or nerdy at school?

Oh, cool - definitely!

Did you go to college?

I did a commerce degree at University College Dublin.

What song most reminds you of your school days?

"Newbridge boys are we",

the song we sang at Leinster Schools' Senior Cup matches.

What would you look for when choosing a school for your own children?

One that focuses on opening their minds, rather than filling them up with useless stuff.

Were your school days the best days of your life? Certainly not. I enjoyed my time at school, but things have only got better all the time since then.