The Final – © Private

The Maynooth Open 2017 was won by Men I’d shift if I weren’t a misandrist (Tim Squirrell, Richeal Ní Laoghaire; Edinburgh/UCD L&H) in Closing Government in an open motion. Opening Government Minorities are people not extensions (Lorna Staines, Mark Finn; Trinity Hist) set it as “THB the usa should pay reparations to african americans“. The other two teams in the final were Nothing wrong with two men crying or taking valium (Eoin O’Sullivan, Chris Costigan; Cork/Trinity Phil) in Opening Opposition and  We all need somebody to Leon (Aodhan Peelo, Leon Langdon; UCD L&H) as Closing Government.

Best Team Award – © Tim Squirrel

The final was judged by Owen Mooney (chair), Steven James Barr, Talia Bin Yusuf, Ruth Lennon and Doireann O’Brien.

The novice final was won by Gets your Brits out for the lads (Caoimhe Donnelly, Cora Keegan; UCD) on the motion “THW end Irish neutrality”. They debated against I call SJB Dad, why does he call him daddy? (Conor O’Malley, Clare Elwell; Trinity) , How come when men do it its toxic masculinity but when women do it, its womens euros (Ella McLoughlin, Rachael Mullally; UCD L&H)  and Beauty and The Hack (Maeve Claffey, Shane Kenneally).

Izzy Sweeney adjudicated the novice final as chair with Thalia Bin Yusuf, Beth Mallen, Catherine Prasifka and Dawid Bartkowiak in the panel.

Best speaker (Yes. The trophy is a sword) – © Private

Best Speaker of the tournament and therefore recipient of the sword trophy was Tim Squirrell with an average of 81.6 speaker points. The best novice speaker was Leon Langdon with an average of 78.6 speaker points.

CA team of the tournament were Méabh McMahon, Sam Browne, Sheraz Qureshi and Rory O’Sullivan.

The tournament was organized by the MU Literary & Debating Society and was convened by Damien Claffey.

Open Break:

1. Men I’d shift if I weren’t a misandrist (Tim Squirrell, Richeal Ní Laoghaire) – 12 team points
2. Nothing wrong with two men crying or taking valium (Eoin O’Sullivan, Chris Costigan) – 12 team points
3. We all need somebody to Leon (Aodhan Peelo, Leon Langdon) – 12 team points
4. So much for the tolerant left (Michael Coleman, Julie Davis; UCD L&H/Trinity Hist) – 11 team points
5. Six sex positions for smaller penises and more sensation in general because it really is how you use it (Aishling Kinsella, Daniel Gilligan; UCD/Trinity) – 11 team points
6. Communism is red, Chewbacca was brown, Don’t try it Anakin, I have the high crown (Aayan Atiq, Eoin MacLachlan; UCD) – 11 team points
7. Like this status, if Otto Rocket was the coolest animated character from our childhood (Eoin O’Gorman, Amy O’Sullivan; Trinity) – 10 team points
7. Minorities are people, not extensions (Lorna Staines and Mark Finn; Trinity Hist) – 10 team points

The teams breaking on seventh place were equal on team- and speaker points (788).

Novice Break

1. I call SJB Dad, why does he call him daddy? (Conor O’Malley, Clare Elwell; Trinity) – 9 team points
2. How come when men do it its toxic masculinity but when women do it, its womens euros (Ella McLoughlin, Rachael Mullally; UCD L&H) – 8 team points
3. Beauty and The Hack (Maeve Claffey, Shane Kenneally) – 7 team points
4. Gets your Brits out for the lads (Caoimhe Donnelly, Cora Keegan; UCD) – 6 team points

Judge Break (in alphabetical order):

James Alkayed, Stephen James Barr, Dawid Wojciech Bartkowiak, Talia Bin Yussuf, Sam Browne, Sophie Corke, Olly Donnelly, Campbell Higle, Ruth Lennon, Cian Luddy, Beth Mallen, Méabh McMahon, Owen Mooney, Kayleigh Newcomb, Doireann O’Brien, Rory O’Sullivan, Catherine Prasifka, Sheraz Qureshi and Izzy Sweeney.

Round 1: THBT the US should impose tariffs on the products of companies that shut down manufacturing plants and outsource jobs.

For the purposes of this debate, “outsourcing” refers to when multinationals close down manufacturing plants in the United States, and relocate to regions in which environmental and labour legislation is more relaxed

Round 2: THW Make it a Wasteland (Open Motion)

Round 3:  THW make holocaust denial a crime

Round 4:Infoslide: Transnational criminal gangs engage in international crime, including but not limited to: trafficking human beings, and smuggling drugs and illegal weapons.

THBT the USA Should Assassinate the Leaders of Transnational Criminal Gangs, Regardless of Country They Are Located In

Round 5: A European, non-Muslim, progressive female politician has been asked to give a speech at a European Mosque. When she arrives, she is informed that she will be required to wear a headscarf, and that the attendees will be segregated by gender with men at the front and women at the rear.

THB that when presented with this scenario, non-Muslim, progressive female politicians should refuse to speak at the event.islam

Semi Final:Infoslide 1: ‘Mother and baby homes’ were an institution ran by the Catholic Church in Ireland until 1970’s. Unmarried mothers were forced into these homes, performed unpaid labour, and had their newborn children forcibly taken from them, to be sold for adoption if possible. At a former mother and baby home named Tuam, the remains of over 700 children were uncovered in a septic tank. They died as a result of neglect from the nuns.

Infoslide 2: On her deathbed, a nun who was active in running a mother and baby home apologises, and sincerely pleads you for forgiveness. You are alone with her, and no-one will ever know what you tell her.

TH, as a survivor of the mother and baby home, would not forgive the nun.

Novice Final: Infoslide:Ireland has been historically neutral, including during the Second World War. It is not a member of NATO, and solely contributes troops to the UN on a peacekeeping and humanitarian basis.

THW end Irish neutrality.

Grand Final: Open Motion

hh./jm.