Ireland’s oldest student debating competition returns
The Irish Times Debate, Ireland’s oldest and most prestigious student debating competition, has returned for a new season. Running since 1960, The Irish Times Debate is an all-island competition open to every full-time third-level student in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its objective has remained unchanged for 66 years - to promote excellence in oratory and debating. This year, for the first time, the debate series will be run in partnership with global law firm DLA Piper, a leading full-service law firm. DLA Piper advises domestic and international clients as part of the company’s global business across more than 40 countries. Approximately 200 students entered the first round of this season’s competition, which involves participants speaking in teams of two. The successful speakers will progress to the 96 places available in the second round, at which stage each debate will be comprised of four teams of two people and four individual speakers. By early December, the starting field will have been whittled down to 48 students who will speak in the four debate semi-final rounds in January. A winning team and a winning individual speaker from each semi-final will progress to take the 12 coveted spots in The Irish Times Debate Final which will be held on Friday, February 26th, 2027. The prize for the winning team is the Demosthenes Trophy (by sculptor Oisín Kelly). The winning individual speaker is awarded the Christina Murphy Memorial Trophy. The winners are invited to go on a debating tour of the United States, which is hosted by Pax Rhetorica and the National Parliamentary Debating Society of America. Previous winners include Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell, comedian Dara Ó Briain and the late broadcaster Marian Finucane. Past champions of The Irish Times Debate Yr Team Individual Society Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Society Speaker 60 King’s Inns Aidan Browne Charles Lysaght Hist TCD Neville Keery 61 Phil TCD Hallam Johnston Jack Daniels L&H UCD Peter Donnelly 62 QUB John Murtagh Michael Bowes Egan Hist TCD Ian Blake 63 L&H UCD Patrick Cosgrave Anthony Clare RCSI Desmond King 64 L&H UCD Patrick Cosgrave Anthony Clare King’s Inns Terry McMahon 65 Hist TCD David McConnell Cian Ó hÉigeartaigh QUB Eamonn McCann 66 Hist TCD David McConnell Cian Ó hÉigeartaigh L&H UCD Esmond Smyth 67 Philosoph UCC Donnchadh Ó Corráin Anthony J. Adolph King’s Inns Kevin O’Higgins 68 L&H UCD Roddy Buckley Dermot Gleeson L&H UCD Henry Kelly 69 QUB Brendan Keenan Derek Davis Philosoph UCC Anthony J. Adolph 70 L&H UCD Neal Clarke Donal O’Riain L&H UCD Adrian Hardiman 71 Hist TCD Donnell Deeny Gregory Murphy Bolton Street Marian Finucane 72 Hist TCD Donnell Deeny Frank Bannister Hist TCD Donnell Deeny 73 QUB Billy McCrory Jimmy Hughes L&H UCD Adrian Hardiman 74 Hist TCD David O’Sullivan James Connolly NUU (New University of Ulster) Alex Lowry 75 NUU Michael Hughes Kevin Cahill King’s Inns Brian Curtin 76 L&H UCD Paul Gill Gerry Danaher Maynooth Deirdre Murphy 77 Maynooth Pat Hennessy Gerry Maher L&H UCD Patrick Healy 78 Law Soc UCD Conor Gearty Donal O’Donnell King’s Inns Turlough O’Donnell 79 Law Soc UCD Conor Gearty John O’Donnell L&H UCD Maurice Biggar 80 L&H UCD Maurice Biggar Eugene McCague King’s Inns Brian Havel 81 L&H UCD Charlie Meehan Gerry Stembridge Hist TCD Sean Moran 82 Phil TCD Michael Byrne Gerry Foley Philosoph UCC Liam Plant 83 Lit & Deb UCG Eoin O’Maoileoin Damian Crawford Hist TCD Bill Maguire 84 Hist TCD Eoin McCullough Brian Murray L&H UCD Pat Whyms 85 Philosoph UCC David Holland Bryan Hassett Hist TCD Gideon Taylor 86 Phil TCD Declan McCavana David Keane Lit & Deb UCG Brendan Wilkins 87 Hist TCD Aidan Kane Paul Gavin Lit & Deb UCG Conor Bowman 88 Philosoph UCC Adrian Hunt Tim Murphy Philosoph UCC Robert Plant 89 King’s Inns Maeve Collins Pat Twomey Law Soc UCD Julian Clare 90 Philosoph UCC Brendan Lenihan Don O’Sullivan Cadet School Tom Clonan 91 King’s Inns Tim O’Leary Pat Treacy L&H UCD Barra Faughnan 92 L&H UCD Johanna Farrelly Pat O’Keeffe Law Soc UCD Cian Ferriter 93 Hist TCD Brendan Foley Gavan Titley Philosoph UCC Kieran Healy 94 L&H UCD Dara O’Briain Marcus Dowling King’s Inns Bernard Dunleavy 95 Philosoph UCC Alan Roberts Diarmuid Conway Philosoph UCC Gerry Hyde 96 King’s Inns Helen Boyle Paul McDermott Hist TCD Douglas Clarke 97 Debating Union UL Seamus Doran Padraic O’Halloran SADSI Matthew McCabe 98 Philosoph UCC Muireann Ní Cinnéide Elizabeth Barrett Hist TCD Paul Gleeson 99 L&H UCD Caoilfhionn Gallagher Bernadette Quigley King’s Inns Rossa Fanning 00 King’s Inns Michael Deasy Ronan Mullen SADSI Louise Rouse 01 Hist TCD Bríd McGrath Yvonne Campbell Hist TCD Aoife Titley 02 Hist TCD Louis Mooney Brendan Kelly Philosoph UCC Conor Buckley 03 L&H UCD Leo Mulrooney Colm Coyne Hist TCD Alison McIntyre 04 DCU Ian Kehoe Michael Moriarty King’s Inns Paul Brady 05 King’s Inns David Whelan Sam Collins L&H UCD Frank Kennedy 06 King’s Inns Barry Glynn Mark Murphy Philosoph UCC Diarmuid Early 07 Hist TCD Ciaran Denny David Boughton King’s Inns David Quinn 08 Hist TCD Christopher Kissane David Kenny L&H UCD Stephen Boyle 09 Hist TCD John Gallagher Andrea Mulligan L&H UCD Jeremy Kinsella 10 Hist TCD Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin Niall Sherry Griffith College Sean O’Quigley 11 Kings Inns Áine Hartigan Lorcan Price TCD Law Mark Thuillier 12 RCSI Elizabeth Ahern-Flynn Eoin Kelleher UCD Med Soc Michael Conroy 13 Bram Stoker Society,TCD John Engle Liam Brophy Hist TCD Kate Brady 14 SADSI Dearbhla O’Gorman Kieran O’Sullivan UCD Med Soc William Courtney 15 Phil TCD Hugh Guidera Ronan O’Connor L&H, UCD Eoin MacLachlan 16 SADSI Ross O’Mahony Aaron Vickery L&H, UCD Cliodhna Ni Cheileachair 17 UCD Law Soc Aisling Tully Dara Keenan SADSI Leah Morgan 18 UCD Law Soc Aodhán Peelo Cian Leahy UDC L&H Amy Crean 19 TCD Hist Daniel Gilligan Ronan Daly King’s Inns Kevin Higgins 20 TCD Phil Aislinn Carty Eoghan Quinn UCD Law Rachael Mullally 21 Maynooth Lit &Deb Chikemka Abuchi -Ogbonda Glory Anumudu Hist TCD Gabrielle Fullam 22 SADSI Conor White Ross Merriman UCD LawSoc Bevin Armstrong 23 SADSI Ailbhe Noonan Gavin Dowd Munster TU Oliver McKenna 24 King’s Inns Ceara Tonna-Barthet Ciara McLoughlin SADSI Clíodhna McHugh 25 UCD Law Adrianne Ward Rob Fitzpatrick Lit & Deb, UG Liam Boyce 26 TCD Hist Anya Wilson Athena Wu SADSI Cian Carew Hist TCD have the most team wins (17) and L&H UCD have the most individual wins (15). Hist TCD are the society with the most overall wins at 29 with L&H UCD at 26 overall.