Following the success of the Debating Matters Northern Ireland Showcase events in 2008, the competition returned to Northern Ireland again in February 2009 for two stand-alone events held in partnership with the University of Ulster’s Science and Society programme and supported by the Bank of Ireland and the Honourable the Irish Society.

The two events, in Jordanstown on 23 and Coleraine on 24 February 2009, saw twelve schools from across the country compete in the competition together with over twenty judges; amongst them academics, journalists, scientists and business people. The students discussed a number of issues including animal experimentation, drugs in sport, organ donation and free speech.

Our survey of participants found:

58% were new to debate
93% enjoyed the experience
91% would participate again
90% would recommend taking part to others
83% were inspired to take an interest in issues they had not considered before
93% were keen to have more debates and discussions at school

Debating Matters panel judges included the historian and journalist Ruth Dudley Edwards; academic and writer Dr Kevin Bean; Science in Society Programme Director at the University of Ulster’ School of Biomedical Science, Professor Valerie McKelvey Martin; and Head of Communication, Orange, David Taylor.

William Crawley, BBC Northern Ireland presenter and judge at Jordanstown said to winning students at the end of the final debate:

“Debating Matters, unlike other public speaking competitions, is all about interaction, about finding the hole in your opponents argument and driving a bus through it – you did just that!”.

For the second year running the student debaters demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm, research and knowledge about the subjects they were drawn to debate.

The winning teams for 2009 were:

Methodist College, Belfast (Jordanstown) pictured above with, from left, Professor Valerie McKelvey-Martin, and judges Dr Ruth Dudley Edwards and William Crawley
Dalriada School, Ballymoney (Coleraine)