Across our school community hundreds of students are involved in debating. We have Junior and Senior committees, students who debate both in in-house and externally run ones and students who attend workshops. The development of the female voice is of utmost importance to us. Historically, culturally and socially this voice has not always been heard like it should have been. The female voice has often been muted and ignored, quietened and disregarded. The building up of our students’ self-esteem and the amplification of their voices is our main aim in the Debating Society.
A strong system of initiative and leadership has also been developed through the work and energy of our Society. Our Committee members construct and deliver workshops and training to our junior students. They mentor our junior teams throughout the year, encouraging and nurturing students of all abilities. Our Society members show such determination, creativity, kindness and excellence and we are unbelievably proud of all they do and of who they are. They use the hashtag #leadershipislegacy because they continue leave behind a gift of self-belief and purpose to the next generation of young women. Our legacy is in how we help and support others, in how we add value to who they are and what they are able to do.
In the 2022/2023 debating year we have established a wonderful working relationship with the St. Mary’s CBS. Honing our debating skills against each other on a consistent and informal basis will help further our development of confidence and capacity.
In 2019 our students explored what motto they would like to use for our Society. They chose “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Our Debating Society firmly believe in and follow through on giving to others, leaving behind a legacy of voice and ambition and bringing along all of our community on the journey of expression and mentoring. They are driven by the belief that giving their energy and time to others is at the core of what our Society is and we are truly fortunate to have such amazing, empowering students leading the way.
Competitions
UCD Junior Debating
Leinster Schools Debating
Inhouse Debate Competitions for each year group
Soapbox Competitions (new for 2022/23 and run by our Junior Committee)