Photo thanks to Mr Leon Power of Presentation De La Salle, Bagenalstown.
Pictured from left to right: Stephanie Doyle, Katie Doyle, Stanislav Ustinov, Dylan O’Neill and coach & teacher Leon Power. (Not pictured: Adam Zielinksi)
By Cillian Doyle.
A South East school has been crowned this year's All Ireland School Debating Champions.
Presentation De La Salle Bagenalstown in Carlow came out winners against Bailieborough Community School in Cavan on Thursday.
The competition organised by Concern in 1984 raises global development issues for secondary schools across the country to debate.
The Carlow school is no stranger to the Concern Debates competition, winning it for the first time back in 2015 and reached the semi-finals in 2019.
Speaking to Beat News, PDLS principal and Tipperary man John Keane says the entire school body is so proud:
"We set our team up in the quietest part of the school - it's fantastic news, great celebrations here in Bagenalstown.
We are really really proud of Stephanie, Katie, Stanislav, Dylan and Adam who have just worked so hard all year and it was been a fantastic result."
Over 100 schools across the country competed in this years debating competition which was held on online due to the pandemic.
Mr Keane added the team adapted quickly to the new online setting:
"There's a huge sporting tradition here as well and we didn't get to participate in a lot of competitions this year that we would usually do - it's fantastic that Concern was able to run this competition online.
It required huge preparation - and different preparation to what our students would have been used to - but as the rounds progressed they got more and more used to operating online."
— Concern Debates (@ConcernDebates) April 29, 2021