Speakers from Trinity College Dublin and the Solicitors' Apprentice Debating Society of Ireland (Sadsi) have secured the last three places in the 60th grand final of the Irish Times Debate.
The motion debated at the fourth and last semi-final, which took place in the Cadets' mess in the Curragh Camp, was "This house believes that the European Union has failed the working class".
The winning team was Lucille McKnight and Ruairc O’Leary from TCD Phil, while Eamonn Butler (Sadsi) went through to the final as an individual.
The debate was chaired by Tom Clonan who won the competition in 1990.
The final takes place in Trinity on Friday, February 28th and will be chaired by Chief Justice Frank Clarke. Finalists will compete for the Demosthenes and Christina Murphy Memorial trophies and a tour of the US.
Already through to the final are teams Aislinn Carty and Eoin Quinn (TCD Phil); Cormac O'Brien and Shannon Buckley Barnes (Sadsi); and Cora Keegan and Mark Smyth (UCD Law) and individuals Simeon Burke (NUI Galway); Rachael Mullally (UCD Law); and Harry Hogan (TCD Phil).
