Our first foray in this year’s Leinster Schools’ senior debating competition took place last night, September 25th, in Trinity College. Our group saw twin doses of success and challenge being spooned out, both useful medicines in their own right, despite the inevitably acrid aftertaste of the latter.

Katie McKeown, George Green, Kate O’Brien, Melissa Akalonu, Vishva Nagappan, Síofra O’Reilly, Ben McQuaile and Shane Bruton all took to various podiums in the Graduates Memorial Building, speaking on the motion, “This House Would Cut Funding for the Arts”.

Katie and George, speaking as first proposition team in their room, charmed their adjudicators utterly, winning their debate and moving directly to round two. Our remaining debaters performed extremely well too and, as highly commended speakers, also progress in the competition, now moving to the repechage round in the coming weeks.

“Well done” all.

J Farrar.