So far, this has been an incredibly successful year for both senior and junior debating alike.  Starting with seniors, congratulations to Doireann O’Brien and Dearbhla Murphy who spoke excellently at the Irish trials of the Oxford Schools Debating competition.  They will travel to Oxford later in the year to compete in the finals. 
Hard luck to Amy O’Sullivan and Aoife Gregg who narrowly missed out on a place at the Cambridge finals day, but congratulations to Aoife Gregg who was placed top of the tab. 
Well done to Alex Kilmartin, Hannah Lynch, Amy O’Sullivan and Aoife Gregg who have all reached the quarter finals of the Leinster Senior Schools debating competition and good luck to them in the next round. 
Congratulations to Niamh Ryan and Saoirse Kilgariff who were placed top of the tab at the UCD Mace debating competition.  Niamh and Saoirse also won the Phil Speaks debating competition in Trinity in January. 
Well done to Aisling Byrne who was placed third at the Soroptomist public speaking competition.  Congratulations to Zara Khan and Helen Carroll who won the Senior Inter-Loreto Mace debating competition. 
Well done to all five teams who have reached the second round of the NUI Maynooth Aoife Begley debating competition.  The teams, comprising of Alex Kilmartin and Hannah Lynch, Aoife Gunning and Katie Havel, Katie Bolger and Catherine Martin, Roslyn Colgan and Dearbhla Murphy and Helen Carroll and Doireann O’Brien all spoke excellently in the first round and we wish them luck in the next round.
Congratulations to Niamh Ryan who has been selected as one of five students to represent Ireland in the world schools debating competition in Bangkok next August. 
On the junior side, Good Luck to all four teams who have made it through to the third round of the Leinster Junior Schools Debating competition. The teams, consisting of Elizabeth Bolger and Julie O’Brien, Grace Given and Sarah Duffy, Kate Conway and Lucy Alvarez O’Neill and Amber Jones Brangan and Lia Bennett are now all in contention for a place in the quarter finals.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Bolger and Julie O’Brien who were finalists at the Belvedere Junior Mace. Well done also to Sarah Duffy and Grace Given who were finalists at the CCC Mace and to Sarah who was top of the tab.  Grace and Sarah also made the final of the St Conleth’s Mace, where they finished as winners.
Well done to all concerned.