A TRINITY College Dublin student has been judged top speaker at this year’s European Universities Debating Championships.
Catherine Murphy of TCD Historical Society was conferred with the award at the championship final in Galway on Friday night.
Ms Murphy and fellow student Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin represented the society in the final, competing against Oxford, Durham and Cambridge on the motion “this house believes that the State should pay reparations to women”.
The Oxford A team of Ben Woolgar and Hugh Burns won the overall contest, on a split decision after four hours of deliberation by the adjudicators.
There were five Irish in the top 10 speakers. Ms Ní Mhaoileoin was third, with Seán Butler and John Beechinor of University College Cork and Ian Boyle Harper of King’s Inns also ranked.
The Tel Aviv A team of Omer Nevor and Sella Nevo won the contest for English as a second language, on the motion that the house believes God exists.
NUI Galway’s Law Society and Literary and Debating Society hosted the event for the first time, with 464 debates involving 360 speakers from 23 countries, assessed by 160 judges.
The Serbian capital Belgrade was ratified as host of next year’s event.
