| Colm Flynn's Detailed Debating
History
|
My Profile from the University of Limerick Debating Union Webpage
Societies: Parl Deb, Lit & Phil, Law Soc, Deb Union
Worlds: XVI Cork Debate 96, XVI Cork Public Speaking 96, XVIII Deree Athens Public Speaking 98, "Reserve" Irish Delegate to Worlds Council 1996, Adjudicator XVIII Worlds Athens 98
European Championships: Adjudicator Grand Final European Championships Rotterdam 99, Irish Delegate to 16 nation European Council Rotterdam 99. Elected to 7 member European Debating Council 1999-2000. Chair Adjudicator Euros Rotterdam 99 Semi/Quater/Preliminary Rounds.
Times: Ind Semi 97, F.R. 96, 95
Mace: F.R. 96
Intervarsity: Glasgow Ancients 97, Strathclyde 98, 97, 96, Glasgow Caledonian 98 (Semi-Finalist), Waterford 97 (Win), National Law 97 (Finalist), University of London Union IV 97, 35Trophy DCU 96 (Win), IEI Challenge 97, Trocaire 95 (Semi-Finalist), Pre-Worlds 93.
Ciaran Treacy: Winner 96, Finalist 95
O'Mahoneys: Winner 98, Winner 97, Finalist (Runner Up) 95, Semi 96.
Freshers: Parl Deb Final 93, Lit & Phil Ind Final 93, Lit & Phil Team Final 93,
Internal: Qualifer National Maidens (Win), Presidents Prize 93 F.R., Law Soc Public Speaking 98
Adjudication: Adjudicator Grand Final European Championships Rotterdam 99, Chair Adjudicator Euros Rotterdam 99 Semi/Quater/Preliminary Rounds, XVIII Worlds Athens 98, Pre-Worlds Final 97 & 95 (Chief Adj 2 Years), Ciaran Treacy Final 97, O'Mahoneys Final 96, Freshers Final 95, Concern National Schools Semi 96 (Chair Adj), Law Soc Public Speaking 97, National Humorous 97 Final, Ciaran Treacy Final 98 (Chair Adj), Irish Times 1998-99 (National Championships), Cork IV 98, Limerick Qualification Run-offs for European Champs 99(Chief Adj), Limerick IV 99 (Final).
Chair: Sean McBride/Amnesty International Final 95, Irish Times Semi-Final 95, Pre-Worlds Final 96
Committee Highlight: Auditor Deb Union 97
Class: Production Management, Class of 97
Freshers Team Compition (T: Sinead ?) ; Finalist
Presidents Prize (I) ; Semi-Finalist
Lit & Phil Pre-Worlds (T: Seamus Ryan) ; First-Rounds
Trocaire Debates (T: Brian O'Farrell) ; Semi-Finalist
O'Mahony's Debate (T: Colm Linnaine) ; Finalist
Ciaran Treacy Debate (I) ; Finalist
Observer Mace (T: Seamus Doran) ; 1st Rounds
XVI World Debating Championships, Cork (T: Padraig O'Halloran) ; Preliminary Rounds
World Public Speaking Championships, Cork (I) ; Preliminary Rounds
Strathclyde Cup (T: Colm Linnaine) ; Preliminary Rounds
35 Trophy Debate (T: Barry McLoughlin) ; Team Winner
O'Mahony's Debate (T: Barry McLoughlin) ; Semi-Finalist
Ciaran Tracey Debate (I) ; Winner
Strathclyde Cup (T: Barry McLoughlin) ; Preliminary Rounds
Glasgow Union Aincients (T: Barry McLoughlin) ; Preliminary Rounds
O'Mahony's Debate (T: Barry McLoughlin) ; Team Winner
Waterford Institute of Technology Intervarsity ; Best Individual
U.L. Law Soc Public Speaking (I) (Preliminary Rounds)
1998 World Public Speaking Championships, Athens (I) ; Preliminary Rounds
Strathclyde Cup (T: Michael Healy); Preliminary Rounds
Glasgow Caledonian Quaich; (T: Michael Healy); Semi-Final
O'Mahony's Debate (T: Padraig Fox) ; Team Winner
Chief Adjudicator, Heineken Pre-Worlds Tournament 1995
Chair Final, Amnesty International Sean McBride Debate 1995
Chair Final, Heineken Pre-Worlds Tournament 1996
Chair of Adjudication panel, Concern Schools National Semi-Final 1996
Chief Adjudicator, Heineken Pre-Worlds Tournament 1997
Adjudicator, World Debating Championships, Athens 1998
Convenor Ciaran Treacy 1998
Adjudicator Irish Times 1998-99 (Irish National Championships)
Adjudicator Cork I.V. 1998
Chief Adjudicator Limerick Qualification Run-offs for European Championship 1999
Adjudicator Limerick I.V. Final 1999
Convenor O'Mahony's Debate 1999
Adjudicator Grand Final European Championships Rotterdam 1999
Chair Adjudicator for Semi-Final, Quaterfinal, & 7 Preliminary Rounds European Championships Rotterdam 1999
Recording Secretary Parliamentary Debating Society 1994.
Convenor of Debates, Debating Union 1994-95
Speaker Development Officer, Debating Union 1995-96
Reserve Irish Delegate to Worlds Council 1996
Vice Auditor, Debating Union 1996
Auditor, Debating Union 1996-97
Elected to European Debating Committee 1999-2000
Irish Delegate to European Council 1999-2000
"Debating" basically involves arguing either for or against a motion, "This House believes ........". There are very strict rules and regulations in debating and it isn't simply a case of a few people having a discussion. Competitive debating in Ireland is based on the "British Parliamentary" system. This involves speeches of 7min length. Competitors on the other side are allowed to offer "Points of Information" between the 2nd and 6th minutes of a speech. (for a more detailed outline of debating please see "How to Debate" on this web-page or on the University of Limerick Debating Union Web-page).
The Debating Union in U.L. meets every Wednesday in "Main Session" at the Charles Parsons Lecture Hall in the U.L. Main Building. Here a main motion is debated while members can propose shorter motions in Private Members Time. P.M.T. is usually a chance for people to make a more light hearted and fun motion.
However I prefer more competitive debates. In Ireland the national championships are sponsored by the "Irish Times" newspaper. All third level colleges are permitted to enter upto 12 teams into this competition (However some of the larger colleges, UCC, UCD, TCD, UL, UCG) are permitted to enter 12 teams per deabating society. This means that there can be over 150 teams of two entered into this competition. The first rounds can have 8-10 teams in each round but the later stages (semi-finals(*4) & final) have 4 teams and 4 individuals. In the three years I have entered the "Times" a member of my team has always reached the Semi-final stage as an Individual. In 1995 my team mate Seamus Doran (Irish Times Team winner 1997) made it to the semi-finals (I was knocked out) in 1996 Brian O'Farrell (Irish Times individual runner up 1994) made it and finally in 1997 I qualified for the semi-finals, however my teammate Aoife Gibson was knocked out.
The top competition in the world is the World Debating Championships. This is held every year in a different College. In 1996 the championships were held in Cork where I competed with Padraig O'Halloran (Irish Times Individual runner up 1995 & Team winner 1997) the official results were never released and ourselves and several other teams still have appeals pending on the preliminary results. In 1997 the Championships were held in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Unfortunately I had to pull out of the championships because of academic pressures. While the "Worlds" are a great event I was after all in University to study (although my college supervisor might have argued that) and had exams a week after the championships. In 1998 the Championships were held in Athens Greece. As I was no longer a Student (having graduated the previous September) I went as an adjudicator. While the rankings of the Adjudicators were never reveled I was adjudicating break rounds during the preliminary rounds and in round 8 got to adjudicate the Top break round.
There are several smaller competitions based on worlds format. The most
prestigious of these include the Glasgow Union Aincients Debate and the
Strathclyde Cup. Both these competitions are held on the same weekend and
I have competed in both. Other top competitions include Oxford, Cambridge
and the Hibernian Challenge.
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