A former teacher of Northern Ireland's new Minister-designate for Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, yesterday described his former pupil as a shy but bright and articulate schoolboy.
Mr Jack Hanna, who retired as principal of the Christian Brothers in 1989, taught the Sinn Fein minister French and mathematics in the school for four years, from 1961 to 1965. "I remember Martin very well and I also remember his brothers. Martin was very much a team player. He was a quiet student and a very popular member of the class.
"He really enjoyed sports, particularly Gaelic football, and he took part in a school trip to the GAA headquarters in Croke Park in Dublin in June 1962. Like his brothers, Tom and Paul, who went to the school, Martin was extremely mannerly and in no way displayed any sort of rebellious nature. In fact, he was probably one of the quieter boys, which in some ways is why he stood out.
"The students came mainly from Derry, from deprived working-class estates, but we also had students from north-west Donegal at the school. It was a tough, difficult teaching environment then, much different from the educational system we have today.
"He has certainly done very well now, as have many other former pupils, and I have every confidence in his ability to head a ministry as difficult as education."
Another former teacher of Mr McGuinness described the new Minister for Education as an industrious student. "Martin was one in a class of 31 in the Christian Brothers Technical School," Mr Don O'Doherty said. "The class was only supposed to hold 20, so it was very difficult in terms of individual attention, one-to-one tuition or noticeability.
"Martin was a very disciplined and industrious student, and I never had any trouble with him. He used to play on football and table-tennis teams against the teachers. He was not outstanding in any way; however, he was extremely courteous and well mannered," Mr O'Doherty said.