Paul Kimmage: Forget the sporting superstars – why Johnny Sexton’s former teacher is my person of the year

Johnny Sexton faced a very different life outside school. Photo: Brendan Moran / Sportsfile

I was fortunate that if I had any troubles at St Mary’s, I could take them to Brian Wall. He was dean of studies for fourth, fifth, and sixth-year boys, guidance counsellor, and also an excellent teacher of chemistry and maths. I was in his class for both so I saw a lot of him. He somehow found time to teach in the Institute of Education, a kind of upmarket cramming college in town with a reputation for providing high-quality notes on each subject. Brian used to slip me his Institute chemistry notes on the quiet.

He was a thoughtful guy, a good listener, a good advice-giver. Do the right thing — that was his mantra … Brian impressed on me the value of channelling my mental and physical energies positively — into study and rugby, basically. You have brains, he’d tell me. Yes, you can play rugby, but you should aim high academically.