Limerick school declared All-Ireland Concern Debate champions on 40th anniversary

LAUREL Hill Secondary School FCJ from Limerick city have been declared All-Ireland Concern Debate winners 2025, as the competition celebrates 40 years.  

Prisca Afolabi, Aida Hehir, Zoe Norris-Cable and Ellie McCaffrey from Laurel Hill defeated the motion ‘The world is more equal now than it was 40 years ago’ in the final in front of an audience at the Helix in Dublin on Thursday, May 1.

“We are delighted,” said Ellie McCafferty, captain of the Laurel Hill debate team.

“It’s just so nice to see all our hard work which has gone into the nine debates to win the contest pay off and to have that sense of ‘we did it’. I am so proud of the girls and everyone who has helped us.”

More than 170 secondary schools entered this year’s competition, with the finalists competing in eight debates to reach the finals.

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As winners, Laurel Hill receive a two-night educational trip of their choice to either Dublin or Belfast, while runner’s up, Ellie McCabe, Amelie Mortell, Lara Whitley and Rose Abrahamson from Sandford Park, Ranelagh, Dublin receive a one-night similar trip.

Sandford captain, Rose Abrahamson said it was an excellent debate and paid tribute to the Laurel Hill team, who she said were deserved winners. 

“I am extremely proud of my team and grateful to everyone who helped us. Hopefully, we will be back next year.”

Concern’s head of global citizenship, Lauren Wright, had high praise for everyone who took part throughout the competition: “We are so proud of all the students from the 170 schools who took part in the debates programme this year.

“Each student who took part, no matter what round they reached, gained new skills like critical thinking, research skills, and confidence in presentation which will benefit them in school and as active citizens in their lives.”

“For our finalists it is an amazing achievement to have prepared and delivered nine debates since October on some of the most pressing global issues of our time.”

An anniversary conference to mark 40 years of the Concern debates programme, Ireland’s largest debating competition, will take place on Wednesday, May 21 at the RDS in Dublin. It will bring together educators, facilitators and changemakers to explore the role of dialogue in building connection and understanding in a divided world.

The Concern Debates programme, which is open to schools from all 32 counties, was created in 1984 by the Irish humanitarian organisation to encourage debate and critical thinking about global issues. A version for primary schools was introduced in 2013 which engages over 220 primary schools across the island of Ireland each year.    

It is an all-island Global Citizenship Education programme funded by Irish Aid and run by Concern for school teams to debate world issues such as poverty and climate change with volunteer judges deciding which team wins. 

Any school interested in taking part in the next academic year’s debate programme, or anyone who would like to learn more about volunteering a couple of hours across the school year as an adjudicator, can email debates@concern.net.