Five years ago, 49-year-old Pat Maughan sold his business and went back to college: he wanted to study chemistry. Since then, he has earned a certificate, diploma, a degree, and is working on his masters in organic chemistry.
His studies at the Institute of Technology, Sligo, involve creating previously unknown compounds - a far cry from the chemistry and physics done for his Leaving Cert in 1967. After school he took over "a small retail business" in Enniscrone, Co Sligo, but sold it to pursue his academic career.
"It was a sort of early retirement from the business. I always had an interest in science since school. The opportunity came my way and I took it," he said.
After approaching Sligo RTC, as it was then known, he decided to start with a national certificate in applied chemistry, involving one year of general science and one year specialisation in chemistry. Afterwards, he did a national diploma in analytical chemistry, followed by a degree in environmental chemistry.
He makes a 75-mile round trip from his home in Enniscrone to Sligo each day.
The funding for his continued research comes from the goodwill of the science faculty in Sligo Institute of Technology.
There was something of an adjustment process for him and his 17-year-old classroom colleagues. "Initially, they found me stranger than I found them. It wasn't a problem for me. Then they got used to me and I became one of the crowd. I have children of that age myself."
His project research supervisor, Dr Tony Benson, was instrumental in Mr Maughan's continued academic success. Unfortunately, Dr Benson died earlier this month. "Even though he knew he was ill, he pushed me very hard. Sometimes he was too ill to come in," said Mr Maughan.
His M.Sc work continues for another 15 months.
Before he died, Dr Benson said there was a possibility of publishing two research papers based on Mr Maughan's research.
Dr John Bartlett, research co-ordinator in the School of Science, Sligo IT, said Mr Maughan's M.Sc thesis was "to be reassessed with a view to transferring it to a doctoral programme".
Mr Maughan's family of wife, two sons and a daughter have been "very supportive" throughout, he said.