Alan Shortt, comedian, presenter of Q Breakfast on Dublin's Q102

Where did you go to school?

My father was a bank manager so I moved around quite a bit. I went to school in Skibbereen, Ballydehob, Millstreet and Castletownbere in Co Cork.

What was your best subject?

Domestic science definitely stands out in my mind as being the class I had most fun in and I really enjoyed cooking every week. This was the start of a lifelong passion.

What was your worst subject?

Art - but I was still disappointed when I failed it in my Leaving Cert.

If you were choosing subjects for Leaving Cert today, what would you choose?

Subjects that I would most definitely include on the curriculum would be driving skills, money management, because it is a skill that is evidently lacking in both young and old people today, and current affairs - every morning before going on air I have to read the papers to update myself on all the latest news. I realise now just how valuable this is and how much I learn every day.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?

Sister Sheila, who taught me while I was in Castletownbere. She was my very first teacher and I will always have the best of memories of her as she was so kind.

Who was your childhood idol?

The Man From Atlantis - a superhuman who could live underwater as well as on land and had the usual set of super skills to save the world with.

What sport were you good at? I was quite good at football for a time and even made the Cork County Vocational School team. Unfortunately we lost, but the experience was definitely worthwhile.

What TV programme/film most reminds you of your schooldays?

Dallas was for me the most memorable TV show from those days.

What song most reminds you of your schooldays?

Golden Brown by The Stranglers.

What food most reminds you of your schooldays?

Brown banana sandwiches. They were as bad as they sound.

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

I crashedmy father's car one evening while driving my friends home from school. Luckily there were no serious injuries, but I was definitely blacklisted by many parents from then on.

Who did you bring to your debs?

A lovely girl called Melissa Gowan who I believe went on to be a solicitor.

What was your most memorable holiday?

I have really great memories of my first holiday with my parents to London. The excitement of travelling abroad was almost too much for me to handle.

What's the last book you read?

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown.

Would you send your own children to the same school that you went to?

Absolutely! I think that these days there is too much snobbery about where children go to school. However, as my family and I live in Dublin now, that won't be a possibility.

What was the best thing about your education?

It was very varied and this for me was great as I never stayed in the one schoollong enough to get bored.

What was the worst thing about your education?

Maths class on Monday morning. Vectors, lines that go nowhere . . . Maths class was the bane of my childhood.