Ireland's famous mature student, Martin Sheen, said yesterday his college experience had been an extraordinary adventure. The West Wing star said he had lived his dream of returning to his mother's homeland to study after spending four months at university in Galway.
"I've been coming here pretty regularly over the years since 1973," said the actor, known for his role as fictional President Josiah Bartlet and in the iconic film Apocalypse Now.
"I have always had this romantic image of studying in Ireland. I never went to college and I couldn't erase it from my imagination and when The West Wing was drawing to a close and I knew I would have that window, I said it is now or never."
Sheen also talked about his latest film Bobby - about Robert F Kennedy, written and directed by his son, Emilio Estevez - which is to open in Ireland in January.
He said he was made feel at home by students at the National University of Ireland in Galway where he studied several subjects, including earth and ocean science, for the past four months.
"I have had the most extraordinary adventure the last four months," said Sheen, who travels back to the US in a week. "I have never felt more at home. Ireland to me is the safest place on earth," he said, but admitted during his visits over the last 33 years he had witnessed changes amid growing crime rates.
"I see some of these changes which are, I think, reflective of drugs and alcohol, and now you have guys carrying guns and shooting each other. This is very, very sad, but you know compared to what is out there you are still in the infant stage of this, I hope that you can get it in hand." - (PA)
