Irish Times Debate final: Blackhall Place students crowned team champions

Ailbhe Noonan and Gavin Dowd of the Solicitors’ Apprentice Debating Society in Blackhall Place have been crowned team winners of the 63rd Irish Times Debate final, Ireland’s longest running third-level debating competition.

The individual speaker’s award went to Oliver McKenna, representing Munster Technological University.

Students debated the motion that “this house believes it is time for people of the EU to directly and democratically elect a president of the European Commission”.

Contestants who argued in favour of the proposition said elections would address a democratic deficit, increase accountability and boost engagement with the European Union.

Those arguing against it said an election would be divisive, lead to “mob rule” and create a “breeding ground for power-hungry individuals”.

Oliver McKenna of Munster Technological University at The Irish Times Debate final. Photograph: Tom Honan

Ailbhe Noonan of the Solicitors Apprentice Debating Society in Blackhall Place at The Irish Times Debate final. Photograph: Tom Honan

A dozen speakers took part in the final at St Ann’s Church on Dublin’s Dawson Street on Friday evening, the culmination of a competition that began last autumn and attracted more than 150 third-level contestants.

The runners-up in the team competition were Jack Cummins and Adrianne Ward of UCD’s Literary and Historical Society (UCD L&H), and the individual category runner-up was Dermot Hamill of Queen’s University Belfast’s Literific Society.

Other contestants in the final included Owen O’Grady and Rob Fitzpatrick (UCD L&H), Laura Campion and Sara Rafter (UCD LawSoc), Ailbhe Noonan and Gavin Dowd (Solicitors Apprentice Debating Society of Ireland).

Individual speakers included those from University of Galway’s Lit & Deb (Liam Boyce), Queen’s University Belfast’s Literific (Dermot Hamill), DCU Debating Society (Theo McDonald) and Munster TU (Oliver McKenna).

Speakers were competing for the Demosthenes Trophy for best team, and the Christina Murphy Memorial Trophy for best individual, as well as a place on a tour of the US for the three winning speakers.

The debate final was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of the Government’s EU50 programme, which aims to encourage discussion on how to best contribute to a strong and shared future in the EU.

The judging panel included Irish Times editor Ruadhán Mac Cormaic; Prof Brent Northup, chair of communications, Carroll College; and former Irish Times Debate winners Bernadette Quigley, Daniel Gilligan and Chikemka Abuchi-Ogbonda.

The debate was chaired by Catherine Day, former secretary general of the European Commission, and the convenor was former winner Ronan Daly.

Catherine Day, former secretary general of the European Commission, at The Irish Times Debate final. Photograph: Tom Honan

The Irish Times Debate competition, which began in 1960, is an all-island debating championship, open to any full-time third-level student.

Former winners include comedian Dara Ó Briain, film director Gerry Stembridge, broadcaster Marian Finucane, Supreme Court judges Adrian Hardiman and Donal O’Donnell and former attorney general Dermot Gleeson. President Michael D Higgins, former president Mary Robinson and former tánaiste Mary Harney were also finalists.