Three Galway students emerged victorious in the Connacht Championships of the Schools' Debate which was hosted recently by the Literary and Debating Society of NUI Galway. Some 400 people filled the venue to hear four teams and four individual speakers from Galway, Mayo and Sligo debate the motion "that this house would welcome the re-introduction of the death penalty."
The participants had come through two rounds to get to this stage. The team winners were Dara Mac Oirteachaigh and Neasa Ni Cheannabhain from Colaiste na Coiribhe, Galway, and the individual prize went to Sinead O'Connell of Headford Presentation School.
The topic was an emotive one, and emotions rather than hard facts were to the fore in the debate, with the names of Veronica Guerin and Garda Jerry McCabe and atrocities such as Lockerbie and Omagh cropping up frequently in the arguments of those favouring the re-introduction of the death penalty.
All stressed that they did not want capital punishment as it operates in the United States, but that it should reflect Irish needs.
"What kind of society do we want to live in," asked Dara Mac Oirteachaigh of Colaiste na Coiribhe, arguing in favour of the motion. "Do we want a society where our police force are an easy target?" He observed that, rather than degrading human life, capital punishment sent out a message that all life is equal. "Punishment must fit the crime," he insisted.
John Hyland, from St Joseph's College, Garbally, a member of the team which won second place, objected to this. "Crime doesn't solve crime," he said. "It instils hatred and a desire for revenge."
He referred to comments made by Ireland's former executioner, Albert Pierpoint, who in 1954 was responsible for hanging Michael Manning, the last man to be executed in Ireland. "Pierpoint later opposed the death penalty, describing it as the deliberate killing of another."
David Mitchell, from Sligo Grammar School, countered by stating that capital punishment exists only because murder does.
However, Sinead O'Connell, of Presentation College, Headford, felt that "a life for a life" is a primitive rule and not a sound principle of justice. Her speech, simple and clear, won praise from the judges in that she outlined briefly what her points were going to be and she delivered those arguments clearly, without depending on dramatics.
Afterwards O'Connell said that, although she had been nervous initially, once she heard the opposition she wanted to refute their arguments so badly that she forgot her nerves.
Overall the judging panel of five, chaired by the former auditor of Lit & Deb, John Sweeney, and including Michael O'Connor from NUI Galway's law faculty, a Yale graduate who has defended people on death row in America, commented on the dramatic style of delivery of many speakers.
However, they said, debating was all about getting an argument across and sometimes that could be achieved more effectively by speakers being gentle and compassionate.
While praising the speakers, the adjudicators felt that the team arguments would have been more effective if speakers had linked their speeches more closely.
Although final details haven't been announced, the winners of the Connacht heat are now through to the next round of the championships which will be held in Trinity College Dublin.
