Students from Queen’s and Blackhall through to Irish Times debate final

Students from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and the Solicitors’ Apprentice Debating Society of Ireland (Sadsi) have secured spots in the final of The Irish Times third-level debating competition.

Dermot Hamill from the Literary & Scientific Society in QUB progressed as the top individual speaker in the first semi-final on Friday, while Gavin Dowd and Ailbhe Noonan from Sadsi were the team to advance.

The first semi-final of the competition debated the motion: “This House Believes that mandatory Coalition would be necessary in a united Ireland”.

The judging panel included Dr David Kenny, associate professor of law at Trinity College Dublin, Prof Jennifer Todd of the Institute for British–Irish Studies, and Mary Minihan, features editor of The Irish Times.

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Bevin Armstrong, the individual winner of the 2021 competition and Dearbhla O’Gorman, 2014 team winner of the competition, were also judges on the panel.

The debate was chaired by Alliance Party MLA David Honeyford.

Speaking after the debate, Dr Kenny said all individuals and teams had shown great “originality” in their arguments.

The topic has been handled “really thoughtfully and sensitively”, with debaters weighing up the question of unity but also the “mechanisms” for how a united Ireland might work, he said.

The decision on which individual and team would advance to the final was “extremely close,” following an “outstanding debate”, he said.

The debate was held in the Royal Irish Academy on Dawson Street, Dublin city centre.

The remaining semi-finals are due to take place on January 20th, January 27th and February 3rd.

Motions due to be debated at the other semi-finals include whether Amhrán na bhFiann could remain as the national anthem in a united Ireland, if unity would threaten the economic interests of the island, and whether young people have “forgotten the lessons of the Troubles”.

The longest running third-level debating competition, The Irish Times debate is in its 63rd year.

Previous winners include broadcaster Marian Finucane, comedian Dara Ó Briain, writer Gerry Stembridge and the late Adrian Hardiman.

Members of the public can attend the debates, with tickets available to book free of charge at: irishtimes.com/events