TCD Historical Society Students Compete at World Universities Debating Championship

Posted on: 13 January 2011

Trinity College’s Historical Society was represented by two debating teams at the World Universities Debating Championships recently in Gaborone, Botswana, where they competed against over 300 teams from across the world who reached the final stages of the competition.  The World University Debating Championships (WUDC) is the world’s largest debating tournament, and one of the largest annual international student events in the world.

The Trinity teams, the first of which consisted of students Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, studying English Literature & Classical Civilisation, and Catherine Murphy, studying French & History, and the second made up of Anthony McDonnell, studying History & Political Science, and Kate Oliver, studying French & Classical Civilisation, were only the fifth and sixth Trinity teams to make it to the knock-out stages in the competitions thirty year history.  Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin also achieved the distinction of being ranked the eight best individual speaker in the world at the tournament.

The Historical Society is one of the most active debating societies in the College as well as being one of the oldest student societies in the world.   During term time weekly debates are held providing a forum for discussion of topical ideas.