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Seamie Mac recalls school triumph
14.05.09
TEN years ago last
week, the Scoil Mhuire debating team of Dearbhla
McLaughlin, Joe Moloney, Carmel Doherty and Sonia
Hardy, won the Concern All-Ireland Debating final
when they travelled to University College Cork and
defeated St Mary’s CBS Tralee.
Their teacher, Seamus McLaughlin (or Seamie Mac to
students) called into the Inishowen Independent
office last week and recalled the event:
“Liam McGonagle drove a 52-seater bus packed with
debate team, coaches, supporters, and school Fr
Shane Bradley, on a three day journey to Cork to the
All-Ireland Concern Debates final. We would stop in
a Galway hostel on the Wednesday night so that the
team would not be too knackered from making a
journey the whole length on the country in one day.
The motion for the final was “Tomorrow’s children
will inherit a better world”. Having won the toss
Scoil Mhuire opted to oppose the motion, much to the
delight of the Tralee team who admitted that their
choice was to propose.
Team captain Dearbhla McLaughlin, Joe Moloney,
Carmel Doherty and Sonia Hardy argued that
politically, culturally, environmentally, and
socio-economically the future wouldn’t be a rosy one
for those about to join the human race, especially
in the Majority World, also known as the Third
World. |
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In hindsight the past decade has changed little to
eliminate starvation, malnutrition, environmental
destruction, carbon emissions, or human rights
abuses, so the team weren’t that far off the mark.
Three of the five judges considered Buncrana’s
presentation and overall performance to be worthy of
the national championship. That’s how close it was
in opposing a team who argued that the new
Millennium would change an entrenched global status
quo.
Marina Carlin and myself were momentarily
shell-shocked before we joined the rest of our
jubilant supporters dancing in the aisles of the
University’s Great Hall. An adrenaline-packed bus
headed back to Eyre Square in Galway for a few hours
sleep before the triumphant return to Scoil Mhuire.
We picked up a Garda escort at Burnfoot to take us
into the schoolyard. Cheering students were doubly
delighted to be out of class and congratulating
their team.
A jubilant Mr Liam Rainey, in his very first year as
Principal, welcomed back his champions from a
makeshift stage in the schoolyard. There was a
rumour that Ms Bradley even smiled!
I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Ms
Carlin and the Team for giving me the highpoint of
my teaching career and a wonderful life-long memory.
(Inishowen Independent) |
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