MOVIE superstar Michael Fassbender has credited the Killarney national school he attended for inspiring him to pursue a career in film.
The Oscar nominated celebrity is a past pupil of Fossa Primary School and he regularly returns to his alma mater to encourage the pupils there to follow their dreams.
The 12 Years A Slave star was reunited with his former fourth class teacher Linda O’Donoghue on the set of the Late Late Show on Friday night when he made an appearance to promote his new film Frank.
Ms O’Donoghue, now the vice principal at the school, was invited as an audience guest and she recalled that her star past pupil was “charming, beautiful and very bright.”
“He was very popular but he was very ordinary, just like any of the other boys,” she said.
“He could get into a bit of mischief like all of the rest of them but that roguish smile that he has got him out of trouble.
“He could twinkle the eyes or give you that smile so how could you get cross?” she asked.
Ms O’Donoghue also recalled that Michael was a very good singer and was a member of the school choir which she led.
Images: Valerie O’Sullivan
Fassbener said that the kids that attended Fossa Primary School really stood out when they progressed on to secondary school due to the great rounded education they received.
“I remember learning about things like the Spartans and when I did the film 300 I remembered that story from primary school.
“There was a great passion for Yeats’ poetry in Fossa. We were doing poetry in primary school and there was a real passion for learning there,” he said.
