BACK IN 1947, when I was 13 years of age, I headed off to spend five years as a boarder at Summerhill College, Co Sligo.

The regime was tough and spartan and at the time those years didn't seem to be the best ones of my life. But looking back, I realise that the broad education I received there, and the difficulties I had to endure, hardened me for what I would face in later life.

Leaving home for the first time was a great wrench, but with 60 or so boys in the dormitory I soon made friends and learned to appreciate the great sense of camaraderie that existed among the boarders.

At boarding school in those days there was no such thing as weekends home - the only breaks were at Christmas and Easter. Conditions are much more comfortable nowadays and the food is much better.

I remember the winter of 1947, when Sligo was cut off by very heavy snows and we had no heating in the school. There was a strike in the local bakery and the whole school lived on milk and potatoes for weeks.

All subjects were taught through Irish. I studied bard and got good results at school. Summerhill was a diocesan college and was particularly strong in Latin and Greek. I liked these subjects and did well in them, but I often think that French and Spanish might have been more useful.

We had some excellent teachers, including Father John Feeney, who was a great expert in Latin and Greek, and Father Tom Foy, who taught English and French. Dr Conway - who recently retired as Bishop of Elphin - taught us Irish.

The dean of discipline could never be described as a friend. He used to fine us sixpence or a shilling for breaking school rules. At that time when money was scarce, we would have preferred that he hit our hands rather than our pockets.

At school I participated in drama, debates and sport. We had an indoor heated swimming pool - a great luxury then and I also enjoyed gaelic football and soccer - the latter was played out of view since it was frowned upon by the Hierarchy.

During our earlier years a group of us took to hopping across the school wall to buy sweets, which we used to bring back and sell at a profit to the other students. Later the school opened a tuck shop and I was appointed its manager in my final year. This gave me the opportunity to develop my business skills - to buy and sell and to work out the profits accruing to the college - which proved a valuable experience.