St Mary’s College has a very active debating society. Our debaters have entered many high-profile competitions such as those organised by The History Society of Trinity College, Griffith College and the Built Environment Debate run by Carlow IT. This type of structured debate is an entertaining and effective way of developing confidence and communication skills.
The national competition organised by Concern is very popular with senior students and it provides a wonderful forum for discussion, for learning how to make a case on contemporary global issues and in practising the art of persuasion. It also gives students the opportunity to develop an awareness of the world around them and to apply their knowledge in a format useful for Leaving Certificate English composition.
Students also participate annually, in the European Youth Parliament and the Model European Council Debate organised by the European Commission. Both provide a more formal setting in which to learn about committee work and gain an insight into many government institutions.