Griffith College Faculty of Law National Secondary Schools Debating Competition 2026

Friday, March 27th, saw the return of the highly popular Schools Debating Competition held in Griffith College's Dublin Main Campus.

Over 12 Debating Teams across Ireland debated the motion “This House would ban smartphones in schools.” Teams consisted of four members, each having the opportunity to speak for 3-4 minutes.

In the lead-up to the competition, students were asked to prepare and submit a 1,000-word essay on the above and to present on the day. Once the shortlisted schools had presented, they were narrowed down to two remaining finalists. The finalists then engaged in an intense debate, either proposing or opposing the motion “This House believes governments should regulate social media algorithms.”

Finalists on the day of the event were St Mary's CBs Portlaoise and CBC Kilkenny Team 1, with St Mary's CBS Portlaoise taking the title.

Other prize winners on the day were as follows:

• Best Speaker: Saoirse Garry, Tullamore College
• Best Rebuttal: Leah Maguire, Athlone Community School
• Best Essay Submission: Patricians Secondary School
• Runner Up Best Essay Submission: New Cross College

We would like to thank all the schools that entered and travelled from afar for today's events. To the law faculty and judges who had the hard decision of deciding who the two finalists were, you did an incredible job.