Ireland beat top-class teams from all over the globe to clinch the World Schools Debating Championship in Singapore yesterday.
The Irish team beat the reigning champions, Australia, in the finals of the prestigious contest proposing the motion: "The Media has become too powerful." This is the first time Ireland has won the contest. Two hundred and twenty top youth debaters from 28 countries across six continents took part.
Noel McGrath from the Catholic University School in Dublin, led the Irish team. The other members were Ross Kelly from McCartan's College, Monaghan; Barry Glynn from Gonzaga College, Dublin; Cian Murphy from CBC in Cork; and Stephen Coutts, also from CBC Cork. The Irish adjudicator, representing UCD's Literary and Historical Society, was Leo Mulrooney.
A jubilant team coach, Dick Wafer from Castleknock College, said last night that the victory was all the sweeter given that Ireland beat the reigning world champions. Ireland beat Britain in the semi-finals and Pakistan in an earlier round debating a motion on missile defence.
Four of the seven judges gave Ireland a winning vote.
The finals were attended by the Irish Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Brendan Lyons, and Ms Alma Ní Choigligh of the Irish Embassy in Singapore.
The championship was organised by The Debate Association (Singapore) and sponsored and hosted by the Singapore International Foundation.
A variety of issues were debated over the last 10 days of the competition, spanning a range of global and international issues from sports, trade, defence to media.
The debate allowed for lively discussion and the exchange of various points of view.