- John Smith Memorial Mace
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University Debating Competitions Asian Championship · Australasian Championship · Canadian Championship · European Championship · Irish Times Debate · North American Championship · U.K. Mace Championship · World Championship · World Championship in Spanish Styles American Parliamentary · Australasian · British Parliamentary · Canadian Parliamentary Organizations APDA · CEDA · CUSID · ESU · NDT · NPDA University Societies Ateneo · Brown · Cambridge · UCC Law · UCC Philosoph · Durham · DCU D&L · Glasgow · Harvard · Otago · Ottawa · Oxford · Pitt · Princeton · UQDS · Rutgers · St Andrews · Stuttgart · TCD-Hist · TCD-Phil · UCD-L&H · UCD-LawSoc · Virginia-Jeff · Virginia-Wash · Yale The John Smith Memorial Mace (previously known as The Observer Mace from 1954–1995) is an annual debating tournament (British Parliamentary format) contested by universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The equivalent competition for secondary schools is the ESU Schools Mace.
Contents
History
The competition was founded in 1954 by the journalist Kenneth Harris of The Observer newspaper,[1] and was sponsored by the newspaper until 1995. It was then renamed the John Smith Memorial Mace in honour of the British Labour Party leader John Smith, who won the tournament as a member of the Glasgow University team in 1962, and died in 1994.
The competition has been held annually since 1954, except for 1977, when no tournament was organised. In the early years, neither Oxbridge debating society (the Oxford Union and Cambridge Union) participated. Glasgow University Union has been the most successful institution in the competition's history, winning the tournament 15 times, most recently in 1995.
In addition to John Smith, other notable former winners include Charles Kennedy, Donald Dewar, Lord Hunt of Wirral and Professor Anthony Clare.
Format
Since 1993, the competition has been run by the English-Speaking Union, with assistance from regional convenors. Four regional tournmaments are held each year for universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Irish tournament is open to teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The winners of these four regional competitions then go on to face each other in the International Final, which is held each spring to determine the overall champions.
All debates in the competition are held using the British Parliamentary debate format. Speeches in the International Final and regional finals are nine minutes long, which is longer than at most other British Parliamentary format tournaments, where speeches are usually seven or five minutes long. Until 2001, speeches in the tournament's finals were ten minutes long.
The Mace is considered by many debaters to be effectively an overall championship for the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the regional qualifying tournament serving effectively as national championships for England, Scotland and Wales. The Irish Times National Debating Championship served as the Irish qualifier for the Mace in the 1960s, but is now run separately.
Past champions
Year Institution / Society Speakers Associated Articles 2011 Cambridge Union Doug Cochran & Maria English 2010 University of Edinburgh Paul Brown & Sebastian Osborn 2009 Oxford Union Jonathan Leader Maynard & Alex Worsnip 2008 Lincoln's Inn Usman Ahmed & Hannah Klein 2007 Cambridge Union Sam Block & Adam Bott 2006 King's Inns Barry Glynn & Mark Murphy Literary and Historical Society (University College Dublin) 2005 Lincoln's Inn Fiona Dewar & Sebastian Isaac 2004 Cambridge Union Harriet Jones-Fenleigh & Nicholas Tan 2003 University College Cork Law Society Stephen Coutts & Cian Murphy 2002 Lincoln's Inn Dennis Kavanagh & George Payne 2001 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Paul Brady & Colin Walsh 2000 Trinity College Dublin Philosophical Society Bob Cuffe & Fergal Davis 1999 University of Edinburgh Andrew Jessop & Richard Wilkins 1998 University of Edinburgh Ben Foss & Colm O'Cinneide 1997 Trinity College Dublin Philosophical Society Matthew Magee & Alex Massie 1996 University of Edinburgh Bob Dalrymple & Stephen Magee 1995 Glasgow University Union Manus Blessing & Duncan Hamilton 1994 Oxford Union Rufus Black & Rod Clayton 1993 Gray's Inn David Langwallner & Alan McLean 1992 Glasgow University Union Robin Marshall & Paul Sinclair 1991 Middle Temple Jeremy Callman & Adam Deacock 1990 Glasgow University Union Graeme Cleugh & Andrew Peterson 1989 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society Anthony Whelan & Malachy McAllister 1988 University College Cork Philosophical Society Adrian Hunt & Tim Murphy 1987 Glasgow University Union Jardine Simpson & John Fletcher 1986 King's Inns Dermot Horgan & Damien Crawford 1985 Glasgow University Union Michael McKirdy & Angus McIver 1984 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Shane Murphy & Patrick Whyms 1983 Glasgow University Union Michael Macfarlane & John Nicolson 1982 Glasgow University Union Charles Kennedy & Clark McGinn 1981 Lincoln's Inn Oliver Wise & Anthony Trace 1980 Middle Temple Nicholas Mostyn & John Lyons 1979 University College Dublin Law Society Donal O'Donnell & Conor Gearty 1978 University College Dublin Law Society Donal O'Donnell & Conor Gearty 1977 No tournament 1976 Inner Temple Oliver Ross & Martin Russell 1975 Inner Temple Ian Bullock & Edward Croff 1974 Glasgow University Union Alistair Burrow & Martin MacLachlan 1973 Ealing College Barrie Hawkins & Bob Meaton 1972 Glasgow University Union Alan Gamble & Alistair Robertson 1971 Inner Temple John M Aspinall & Dennis M Singham 1970 University College Cardiff John Crook & Nick Jenkins 1969 Cambridge Union Rajeev Dhavan & Nicholas Stadlen 1968 University of Strathclyde John Hutchinson & Victor MacColl 1967 Glasgow University Union Colin MacKay & Matthew McQueen 1966 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society David J McConnell & Cian Ó hÉigeartaigh 1965 University of Bristol Bob Marshall-Andrews & David Hunt 1964 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Anthony Clare & Patrick Cosgrave 1963 Glasgow University Union Donald Dewar & Malcom MacKenzie 1962 Glasgow University Union A Gordon Hunter & John Smith 1961 University of Edinburgh Russell Johnston & David Harcus 1960 University College Cardiff Vincent Kane & Mary O'Neill 1959 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Godfrey Agbim & Owen Dudley Edwards 1958 Birkbeck College Ernest C. Dalrymple-Alford & Fred Crawford 1957 Glasgow University Union Ronald Anderson & James Gordon 1956 Glasgow University Union Roger McCormick & J Scott Bernie 1955 Glasgow University Union J Dickson Mabon & Andrew Kennedy 1954 Ruskin College Tom Megahy & William McCarthy Most victories
Glasgow University Union 15 University of Edinburgh 5 Cambridge Union 4 Lincoln's Inn 4 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society 4 Inner Temple 3 Trinity College Dublin Philosophical Society 2 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society 2 Oxford Union 2 King's Inns 2 University College Dublin Law Society 2 Middle Temple 2 University College Cork Philosophical Society 1 University College Cork Law Society 1 Gray's Inn 1 University of Bristol 1 Ealing College 1 University College Cardiff 1 Birkbeck College 1 Ruskin College 1
Victories by Country
Scotland 21 England 20 Ireland 14 Wales 1
Winners of recent national qualifying tournaments
English Mace
Year University Speakers 2010-11 Cambridge Union Doug Cochran & Maria English 2009-10 Cambridge Union Doug Cochran & Uven Chong 2008-9 Oxford Union Jonathan Leader Maynard & Alex Worsnip 2007-8 Lincoln's Inn Usman Ahmed & Hannah Klein 2006-7 Cambridge Union Sam Block & Adam Bott 2005-6 Cambridge Union Nick Devlin & Alyson Thompson 2004-5 Lincoln's Inn Fiona Dewar & Sebastian Isaac 2003-4 Cambridge Union Harriet Jones-Fenleigh & Nicholas Tan 2002-3 Cambridge Union James Acton & Patrick Emerson 2001-2 Lincoln's Inn Dennis Kavanagh & George Payne Irish Mace
Year University Speakers 2010-11 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin & Huw Duffy 2009-10 Honorable Society of King's Inns Eoghan Casey & Paddy Rooney 2008-9 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society Josephine Curry & Shane Farragher 2007-8 University College Dublin Law Society Marguerite Carter & Ross McGuire 2006-7 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Frank Kennedy & Noel McGrath 2005-6 King's Inns Barry Glynn & Mark Murphy 2004-5 King's Inns Leo Mulrooney & Rory Stains 2003-4 University College Dublin Law Society Sam Collins & David Whelan 2002-3 University College Cork Law Society Stephen Coutts & Cian Murphy 2001-2 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society Manus De Barra & Jim McElroy 2000-1 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Paul Brady & Ian Walsh 1999–2000 Trinity College Dublin Philosophical Society Robert Cuffe & Fergal Davis 1998-9 Trinity College Dublin Philosophical Society Niall Boland & Colm O'Mongain 1997-8 Trinity College Dublin Historical Society Adrian Langan & Aoife Titley 1996-7 King's Inns Paul McDermott & Colm O'Cinneide 1995-6 University College Galway Literary & Debating Society Mary Cosgrove & Brian Hughes 1994-5 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Marcus Dowling & Dara Ó Briain 1993-4 King's Inns Kerida Naidoo & Newman 1992-3 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Michael Hodgins & Mark Rafferty 1991-2 University College Dublin Literary & Historical Society Michael Hodgins & Mark Rafferty Scottish Mace
Year University Speakers 2010-11 University of Edinburgh Benjamin Lau & Marlena Valles 2009-10 University of Edinburgh Paul Brown & Sebastian Osborne 2008-9 University of St Andrews Daniel Berman & Thomas Cahn 2007-8 University of St Andrews Doug Cochran & Connie Grieve 2006-7 Glasgow University Union David Adams & Claire Brown 2005-6 Glasgow University Union David Adams & David Tait 2004-5 Glasgow University Union Kenny Fleming & Niall Kennedy 2003-4 University of Edinburgh Mark Dawson & Barney Ross 2002-3 Glasgow University Union Claire Brown & Nick Van Jonker 2001-2 University of Edinburgh Neill Harvey-Smith & Diana Tansley 2000-1 University of Aberdeen Duncan Cockburn & Rami Okasha 1999–2000 University of Aberdeen Duncan Cockburn & Rami Okasha 1998-9 University of Edinburgh Andrew Jessop & Richard Wilkins 1997-8 University of Edinburgh Ben Foss & Colm O'Cinneide 1996-7 Glasgow University Union Chris Elliott & Alan Horn 1995-6 University of Edinburgh Bob Dalrymple & Stephen Magee 1994-5 Glasgow University Union Manus Blessing & Duncan Hamilton (politician) 1993-4 University of Strathclyde Jim Begley & Keys 1992-3 University of Strathclyde Brolls & Tommy Tonner Welsh Mace
Year University Speakers Associated Articles 2010-11 Cardiff University Victoria Jones & Kirsty Logan 2009-10 Glamorgan University Solomon Judd & Adam Jivraj 2008-9 Cardiff University Matthew Clarke & Craig Sutherland 2007-8 Aberystwyth Debating Union David Jones & Holly Tomlinson 2006-7 Cardiff University Matthew Clarke & Ben Lloyd 2005-6 Cardiff University David Steele & Lowri Rees 2004-5 Cardiff University Chantal Du Toit & Kate Kopajova 2003-4 Cardiff University Helen Jarman & Amy Thomas 2002-3 Cardiff University Helen Jarman & Amy Thomas 2001-2 Swansea University Bethan Thomas & Mike Scott Danny Dorling |
England & Wales Mace
Prior to the 2001-2 academic year, England and Wales held a combined qualifying tournament for the International Final of the Mace. At the time, the winners of the Irish, Scottish and English/Welsh tournaments qualified for the International Final automatically, while runners-up from the events qualified for a repechage debate which determined the fourth team in the International Final. After the 2000-1 academic year, England and Wales began holding separate qualifying tournaments and the repechage was abolished.
Year University Speakers Associated Articles 2000-1 Cambridge Union Kirsteen Macleod & Debbie Newman 1999–2000 University of London Union Daragh Grant & James Probert 1998-9 University of Leeds Fergal Davis & Neill Harvey-Smith World Universities Debating Championship 1997-8 Inner Temple Jody Beveridge & John Madden University of St Andrews Union Debating Society Candidates of the New South Wales state election, 2011 1996-7 Gray's Inn Jon Adkin & Neil Sheldon Death of Jeremiah Duggan 1995-6 City University Jon Adkin & Jon Hough 1994-5 Cambridge Union Kelly Rees & Trevor Sather World Schools Debating Championships 1993-4 Oxford Union Rufus Black & Rod Clayton 1992-3 Gray's Inn David Langwallner & Alan McLean Griffith College Dublin See also
References
- ^ The journalist who saved The Observer The Guardian, 3 July 2005
External links
Categories:- British debating competitions
- Debating competitions in Ireland
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