Team

First: Caoilfhionn Gallagher and Bernadette Quigley (UCD Literary & Historical Society)

Second: Brid McGrath and Yvonne Campbell (TCD Historical Society)

Individual

First: Rossa Fanning (Kings Inns) Second: Eoin Mac Giolla Ri (Kings Inns)

The prizes

Gallagher and Quigley received the Demosthenes trophy, while Fanning was awarded the Christina Murphy Memorial Trophy. All three will go on a speaking tour of US colleges organised by the National Parliamentary Debating Association, while Aer Lingus will sponsor their flights.

The chair

Andy Pollak, education correspondent of The Irish Times

The adjudicators

Presiding: Tim O'Leary, barrister and former winner of the competition

Caroline Walsh, literary editor of The Irish Times

Brendan Goggin, registrar of Cork Institute of Technology

Don O'Sullivan, UCC marketing lecturer and former winner of the competition

Professor James A Johnson of Colorado College, Colorado Springs