WITH A SLIGHTLY furrowed brow, Feargal O'Connell (17), a fifth year student at Terenure College, Dublin, tries to sum up how he has benefitted from taking part in the International Model United Nations conference this year.

"First of all you're comfortable when you are speaking," he says. "You learn good advocacy skills, diplomacy, co operation, how to compromise, how to work as a team, how to think on your feet and butter people up.

"It did make me think about what I was going to do with my life."

Terenure College were joint winners this year of the ninth International Model United Nations conference in Dublin, organised by St Andrew's College. The school received the "Distinguished Delegation Award" as did Trinity School from England and St Andrew's College from Dublin. These three schools were recognised as the delegations which had best represented the countries to which they had been nominated.

"It's perfect training for a politician," says John Macklin (17), another delegate from Terenure College. "But politicians with ideals," he adds quickly. "We were trying to solve the world's problems. The countries want world peace and to eradicate poverty. It's up to us to put those ideals to the fore. You see the problems as they are. You have to be realistic."

O'Connell talks about the joy of speaking to a packed auditorium of over 700 people. It becomes contagious. It's a total buzz. You have to love the attention." The seven member delegation from Terenure College represented the United States. They argued and debated, lobbied and compromised as they tried to solve the problems of the world.

It was Cathal O'Sullivan's first experience of the conference. He is in second year and 13 years of age. He may look shy and timid but Cathal, by all accounts, took to the cut and thrust of international politics like a duck to water. "You can always see another side to an argument," he says. "You can always argue for or against."

He was on the economic development committee. "I was really nervous the first day," he says. But by the committee stage, he says, he settled down and began to enjoy it. He has now been bitten by the bug.

Macklin is the same. "There's a bit of banter as well," he says.

For over three days, teenagers from a wide variety of schools from around the world took part. They represented 116 of the 185 UN member states. Schools from all over Ireland and Europe as well as a school from Brazil, two from the US and one from the United Arab Emirates were present.

As a US delegate, O'Connell was a member of the human rights committee during the conference. "We all had to lobby for support of our various resolutions," he says. He argued for the elimination of all sexism and gender discrimination.

Patrick Smyth (17), a fifth year student, was the US ambassador. He had to encapsulate the dignity and astuteness of his delegation - to be their guiding light. The team agrees that his opening speech was a key factor in creating the right kind of impression at the conference. They all nod, he was a great ambassador.

"I gave an arrogant and belligerent speech which angered a lot of people," he says of his opening address. The idea, the other delegates explain, was to create a strong impression. It did, in Smyth and his delegates were agreement before the conference that moderation and modesty would not win the attention of delegates on day one. "We decided on a policy before we went," he explains. "You have to get noticed. You have to be of one extreme. The tone of my speech was that we, the US, know that we are the most important country in the UN."

"People were very hostile towards us in the beginning. They were all condemning the US," O'Connell adds. However, it was only a matter of time before their persuasive arguments were winning support left, right and centre.

They obviously charmed a lot of the delegates too, to judge by the mail they received. "We love you, even if everyone else hates you," said one note from some admiring female delegates. There was a chance to pursue a more social agenda at the conference disco.

This was Terenure College's fifth year taking part in the conference. The school sent four teams to take part. P J Breen, school chaplain and teacher at the college, acted as their adviser. Joe McDonnell, their maths teacher, gave some advice as well.

Breen says the aim of the majority of the students is to take part, to be present and perhaps to contribute to some of the debates. All the teams prepare outside of class times and research their subjects thoroughly. The winning team were on the phone to the US Embassy constantly in the run up to the conference. The depth and scope of their research "would put me to shame", he says.

Back among the victorious delegates, there is an easy, relaxed air. The hard work has paid off. Conor Breen (17), John Brennan (18) and Gareth Kinsella (17) are explaining the role of a delegate. He must be competitive and tenacious, as well as realistic, informed, sociable, affable and persuasive.

"We learn to twist the truth and do it convincingly," says one of the students. They all smile broadly. O'Connell adds: "It's just a persona you adopt. You have to dominate everything." John Brennan continues the theme: "You can step into it the same way you step into your jacket and your lie."