Cross and Passion College wins Concern school debate

A school from Co Antrim has won the Concern school debates competition after arguing how to defeat terrorism.

The Cross and Passion College debating team from Ballycastle, Co Antrim won the All-Ireland competition after arguing against the motion that “to defeat terrorism the world must end poverty” at The Helix in Dublin on Wednesday night.

They defeated St Joseph’s Presentation College from Lucan, Co Dublin to win the competition.

The Cross and Passion College debating team are the first team from Northern Ireland to win the Concern Debates competition since 1990 when it was won by St Patrick’s Grammar School, Co Armagh.

This was also the first time schools from Northern Ireland participated in Concern Debates since the early 90s – and it was the second time that Cross and Passion College won the contest since 1986.

They were one of 151 schools taking part this year in what is Ireland’s largest schools debating competition.

Winning team captain Sorcha Hughes (17) said: “The motion was very topical and also the subject of many conversations with friends and family and we are delighted to have won.”

Sorcha and her team, Róisín Neill (18), Luiseach Mathers (17) and Orla Donnelly, (17) – who are also doing their A-Level exams – will travel to one of Concern Worldwide’s overseas programmes, where they will see first-hand the aid agency’ s life-saving work.

Other motions debated in this year’s Concern Debates included the argument that “young people should be trusted to vote at 16,” that “the EU can well afford to open its borders to refugees” and that “Britain should remain in the European Union”.