Trinity College Team wins Irish Times Debating Competition

Posted on: 03 March 2008

Chris Kissane and David Kenny of Trinity College ‘s Historical Society were the winning team in the final of The Irish Times Debate 2008, held on Friday 29 February. They received the Demostenes trophy from the presiding judge, Managing Editor of The Irish Times, Eoin McVey.

The final of the competition was hosted by the UCD Law Society with Trinity College represented by two teams from the Historical Society, David Kenny and Chris Kissane, and Andrea Mulligan and John Gallagher. Chris Kissane and David Kenny, were opposing the motion that “This House believes that Ireland owes a debt of gratitude to the Catholic Church.” The runner-up in the individual debating category, was John Gallagher also of Trinity’s Historical Society. This is the second consecutive year that the Trinity College Historical Society has won the competition, with Ciaran Denny and David Boughton picking up the prize in 2007.

A total of 12 speakers took part in the final of the Irish Times Debating Competition, which is Ireland ‘s biggest and most prestigious debating competition. Almost 350 debaters drawn from colleges in the Republic and the North participated in this year’s competition, which is celebrating its 48th anniversary. Former winners of the competition include broadcaster Marian Finucane, comedian Dara O’Briain, Justice Adrian Hardiman, Professor David McConnell amongst others. The winners of the competition will represent Ireland on a three-week debating tour of the US .