Our Mayo Schools’ Debating Competition 2019 makes a welcome return, with the semi-finals taking place at GMIT Mayo Campus on Saturday 9 November, while The Grand Final will be held in Trinity College Dublin on Saturday 30 November.
Having had a long history of hosting debates in the 1960s Mayo Association Dublin relaunched the initiative in 2017 with our Schools’ Debating Competition, to provide a platform to inspire and foster the next generation of effective leaders from Mayo.
Now in its third year, this competition is open to all senior cycle secondary students in Mayo. Each school may enter a team of two students at a cost of €50 per team. The competition is limited to a maximum of 16 teams. However, each school may enter a maximum of two teams per school.
The semi-final will be held at GMIT Castlebar on Saturday 9 November, leading to the Grand Final on Saturday 30 November in Trinity College, Dublin.
The winners of the competition will be awarded a perpetual trophy together with a medal for the best individual speaker of the competition.
Since the competition will follow a university-style debating format, Mayo Association Dublin will provide a Free Workshop in partnership with a number of experts in their field, to all entrants on Saturday 26 October at GMIT Castlebar to assist students in their preparation for the event.
The deadline for all entries is Wednesday 23 October, and once entries are received we will advise of your opponent teams and your topic for discussion. The application fee must be paid in advance of the semi-final.
For further information, email Bernardine Walsh McBride, Secretary of Mayo Association Dublin on [email protected].