The Winners of the Cork IV 2017 bringing the christmas cheer – © Matt Hazell

Cambridge (Alasdair Donovan and Matt Hazell) won the Cork IV 2017 from Closing Government on the motion From behind a veil of ignorance, THW rather be born in the City of Omelas than a city in this world where you would have an average standard of life (eg: London, Dublin, Amsterdam, etc). They won over TCD Hist SD (Daniel Gilligan and Sam Browne) in Opening Government, TCD RR (Ronan Daly and Rory O’Sullivan) ind Opening Opposition and TCD Phil B (Eoin O’ Gorman and Christopher Costigan) in Closing Opposition. The final was chaired by Niamh Egleston who adjudicated together with Ybo Buruma, Lucy Murphy, Jack Stanley and Conor White.

The Novice Final was won by UCD Law Soc DG (Dylan Delaney and Orla Gaughran) on the motion TH prefers a centrally led planned economy over an unplanned i.e. capitalist free market economy. They won against TCD Phil MB (Amelia Melanson and Xavier Bradley), DIT S (Rachel Orr and Shane Donnely) and UCD L&H F (Calem Martin and Scott Donohoe) The Novice Final was judged by Izzy Sweeney as chair, Mike Dolan, Stephen James Barr, James Brandon, Ella McLoughlin, Ruth Lennon and Catherine Kelly.

Due to a mistake in the tab, the team UCD Law GD (Des Cooke and Anthony Treacy) wasn’t recognised as a novice team, although they should have been. They would have been the fourth team breaking to the final.

Matt Hazell was announced best speaker of the tournament with an average of 83.59. The best novice speaker was Orla Gaughran with an average of 76.

The Chief Adjudicators of the tournament were Cian Luddy, Lucy Murphy, Ybo Buruma and Jack Stanley as DCA.

The tournament was organized by UCC Philosophical Society and convened by Beth Mallen.

Open Break

1. Cambridge (Alasdair Donovan and Matt Hazell) 15 points
2. UCD L&H A (Aisling Tully and Aishling Kinsella) 12 points
3. TCD Phil B (Christopher Costigan and Eoin O’Gorman) 12 points
4. UCD L&H Barnes Atiq (Juliette Barnes and Aayan Atiq) 12 points
5. TCD Hist SD (Daniel Gilligan and Sam Browne) 11 points
6. TCD RR (Ronan Daly and Rory O’Sullivan) 11 points
7. UCD Law SM(ells) (Rachel Mulally and Adam Stairs) 11 points
8. TCD Phil FMK (Umang Kalra and Irene Fuentes McDonnell) 11 points
9. UCD Law Soc KL (Leon Langdon and Dara Keenan) 10 points
10. UCD L&H D (Cora Keegan and Shane Sweeney) 10 points
11. TCD Phil A (Amy O’Sullivan and Harry Morris) 10 points
12. UCD Law WG (Caoimhe Gethings and Andrea Whelton) 10 points
13. TCD Phil GOL (Ryan Grunwell and Ruairc O’Leary) 10 points
14. TCD MCF (Mark Finn and Conn McCarrick) 9 points
15. UCD L&H WH (Carl Whelan and Kevin Heavey) 9 points
16. TCD Hist DC (Catherine Prasifka and Doireann O’Brien) 9 points

Novice Break

1. UCD Law Soc DG (Dylan Delaney and Orla Gaughran) 9 points
2. TCD Phil MB (Amelia Melanson and Xavier Bradley) 9 points
3. DIT S (Rachel Orr and Shane Donnely) 9 points
4. UCD L&H F (Calem Martin and Scott Donohoe) 8 points

Judge Break

Lucy Murphy, Ybo Buruma, Cian Luddy, Jack Stanley, Eoin O’Sullivan, Niamh Egleston, Beth Mallen, Thomas Creamer, Sadhbh Noonan O’Donovan, Conor O’Malley, Isabel Cooke, Julie Davis, Peter O’Donovan, Morag Deans, Sinead McCarthy, Izzy Sweeney, Mike Dolan, Stephen James Barr, James Brandon, Ella McLoughlin, Ruth Lennon, Catherine Kelly, Laura Hogan, Caoimhe Meaney

Motions

R1: THW allow long term prisoners to choose the death penalty.

R2: THR the rise and dominance of aspirational narratives in western politics
Info Slide: For the purpose of the debate, aspirational narratives refer to narratives of the personal aspiration of citizens. 
For example, anyone can achieve success through hard work; backing those who choose to work hard and get on in life.
This rhetoric has risen over the past few decades, being employed by politicians from Barack Obama to Margaret Thatcher.

R3: THB the US should stage a military intervention in North Korea.

R4: This house regrets the dominance of sex positivity in modern feminism
Info Slide: Sex positivity is an attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, encouraging sexual pleasure and experimentation. It is also tends to be critical of monogamy.

R5: THR the Israeli anti-boycott acts.
Info Slide: There are 25 states in the USA that have an Israeli anti-boycott act, which criminalises all businesses that boycott Israel and Israeli companies.

QF: THBT nation states should be allowed to offer collateral when borrowing money from global financial institutions (ECB, IMF, World Bank)

SF: THR the denuclearisation of Ukraine.
Info Slide: After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ukraine held about one third of the Soviet nuclear arsenal, the third largest in the world at the time, as well as significant means of design and production. In 1994, Ukraine agreed to destroy the weapons and join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In exchange, the UK, the US and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum, guaranteeing Ukrainian territorial integrity and security.

Novice Final: TH prefers a centrally led planned economy over an unplanned i.e. capitalist free market economy
Info Slide: Planned economies involve centralized state planning and administrative decision making. In planned economies, important allocation decisions are made by government authorities and are imposed by law. Planned economies are held in contrast to unplanned economies, specifically market economies, where production, distribution, pricing and investment decisions are made by autonomous firms operating in markets.

Grand Final: From behind a veil of ignorance, THW rather be born in the City of Omelas than a city in this world where you would have an average standard of life (eg: London, Dublin, Amsterdam, etc).
The City of Omelas is a paradise of 100 people. There is no suffering, want, or inclination for one to rule over one another. In order to maintain this state, a single unfortunate child must be chosen by lottery to be imprisoned in perpetual filth, darkness, and misery for life.

hh./lok.