Student solicitors win place in Irish Times debate final

David Rattigan and Emer Nolan take team place, while Trinity’s Mary Woods makes individual final

David Rattigan and Emer Nolan won the team event. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
David Rattigan and Emer Nolan won the team event. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

The latest team place in the final of The Irish Times Debate has been won by David Rattigan and Emer Nolan from the Solicitors’ Apprentice Debating Society of Ireland, while the individual place has been taken by Mary Woods from Trinity College’s Historical Society.

The second of four semi-finals in the competition was held in the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) in Dublin, in partnership with the Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South project (ARINS), a joint initiative of the RIA and the University of Notre Dame.

Four teams took part in the semi-final of the prestigious debating competition – which is now in its 65th year – on the motion, “this House believes that communities in Northern Ireland should not forgive and forget”, with the SADSI teams speaking in favour of the motion.

The teams represented University College Dublin’s L&H Society, the King’s Inns, the Student Apprentice Debating Society from Blackhall Place and Trinity’s Historical Society.

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Trinity's Mary Woods reached the individual final. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Trinity's Mary Woods reached the individual final. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Mary Woods won her place in the individual element of the final speaking in favour of the motion, facing competition from speakers from Trinity Law Society, UCD’s L&H and Queen’s University Belfast Literific Society.

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy is Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times