A group of students from Blanchardstown were today pipped in the final of the country’s top contest for young debaters.
The three-member team from St Francis Xavier Senior National School, reached the last two of the Concern Primary Debates contest, with more than 200 schools from across Ireland originally entering the competition.
They were beaten in today’s final after a close debate against Ardfield National School, Co. Cork.
The motion for the final was: “Ireland is doing its fair share to make the world a better place”.
It was proposed by the students from Ardfield and opposed by the St Francis Xavier team. All finalists were aged between 11 and 12.
The primary school competition has been running for nine years, but was only expanded to be an all-Ireland contest last year.
This is the first All-Ireland final to be held in-person, as last year’s decider was via Zoom due to COVID restrictions at the time.
The contest is organised by international humanitarian organisation, Concern Worldwide, in partnership with 16 Education Support Centres, with funding from Irish Aid.
“Concern runs the primary school debates to engage students with critical literacy skills, research skills, and to introduce them to complex humanitarian development themes,” Concern’s Head of Active Citizenship Michael Doorly said.
“It also engages them in how to take action in their communities and around the world.”
He praised the students for the standard of debating and thanked their teachers, the adjudicators, the Education Support Centres and Irish Aid for making the competition possible.
St Francis Xaviers SNS principal Adrienne Darby said they were honoured and privileged to have reached the national final.
“It is beyond anything we could have imagined when we participated in the programme,” she said.
The online nature of the early stages of the contest meant the whole school was involved, with the younger children motivated and inspired by the older children who were on the team.
“As a direct result of our involvement in the Concern Primary Debates, we have developed a strong oral programme in the school,” Ms Darby said.
She paid tribute to Siobhan Kerr of the West Dublin Education Centre, who provided them with the opportunity to participate.
The St Francis Xavier SNS team were: Juliette Sendlak; Tessa Rycraft; Cassie Ward; Finley Cherry-Maguire; Amelie Carew; and Emilia Ahern.