A team of five Irish students were narrowly beaten in the finals of the World Schools Debating Championships in Wales yesterday.
Conor McAndrew, Gonzaga College; Sian Murray and Mark Haughton, Wesley College; Dani Quinn, Loreto College, St Stephen's Green; and Ian Hastings, St Conleth's College, had won all 11 debates prior to yesterday's final.
Their runner-up placing follows Ireland's success in the competition in 2002, when beating Australia to become world champions.
Australia regained the world title yesterday.
However, team coach and teacher in Castleknock College Jim McElroy described yesterday's performance as Ireland's best to date.
When winning the competition in 2002, Irish students lost two debates en route to the final.
More than 50 countries have been taking part in the prestigious debating tournament since 1988.
In opposing the motion - that democracy is the best system of government for every country - the Irish team argued that the system would only work if introduced gradually in China.
Democracy would not be appropriate for a clearly divided country such as Rwanda.