St Louis quartet Trinity bound

St Louis quartet Trinity bound

Claire Egan

ALL ROADS lead to Trinity College, Dublin this Saturday night as St Louis Community School, Kiltimagh compete in the 26th National Public Speaking Final.
The event, which is supported by Mental Health Ireland, sees three teams, from Cork, Wicklow and Mayo, joining to debate the topic, ‘A society that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both’.
Transition year students, Heather Cleary, Julianne McNichols, Elizabeth Lavin and Whitney Jordan comprise the four-member team, tutored by English teachers Denise Nagle and Grainne Byrne.
For team member Elizabeth Lavin it is an exciting, but nervous, time.
“Definitely, we are really looking forward to the finals and, while it is exciting, we are also a little bit nervous as well, which is only natural,” she said.
The St Louis team had to beat off stiff competition en route to the final stages, overcoming the challenges of Castlerea and Glenamaddy in the Western Regional Final before overcoming Mercy College, Sligo and Belturbet, Co Cavan in the national semi-final stages.
“The competition is exclusive to post primary schools and on occasion we have been up against students who are in Leaving Certificate or else fifth year. This is the first time that all four of us have been involved in a debating competition and while it has been a huge amount of work, during and after school, it has still been really rewarding,” explained Elizabeth.
Of the chosen topic, the Kiltimagh student was refusing to give anything away but did outline that the team would be adopting a wide focus on the issue.
“We have been researching the issue extensively, including speaking to professionals in the Mayo Mental Health Services and Psychiatric Services. As for the content of our speeches, it will take into account education, government, economic growth, wealth and the young and old, to name but a few,” she said.
Hopefully, once proceedings conclude in the Edmund Burke Theatre in the early hours of the morning the youthful quartet will have debated their way to an historic victory for the east Mayo school.