UCC Philosophical Society - Competitive Events

Competitive Events

The Society runs a number of internal competitions for members, such as the Lord Mayor's Gold Medal (individual competition), the Philosoph Mace (team competition) and UCC Maidens (competition for new speakers held with The UCC Law Society). In addition, the Society funds speakers in competitions throughout Ireland and internationally. A number of Intervarsity competitions are hosted throughout Ireland and the UK which the society participates in such as the UCD Vice-President's Cup, the Oxford Union and Cambridge Union Intervarsities and the National Law Debates in Galway. The Society also enters the John Smith Memorial Mace and the Irish Times competition. Internationally, the society participates in the World Universities Debating Competition and the European Universities Debating Competition. The society has enjoyed considerable success in international debating, with a team EUDC Semi-Finals and two teams in the World University Debating Championship Quarter-Finals in the past, while Auditor of the society for 2006/07, Diarmuid Early, won the Irish Times final in February 2006. As well as participating in competitions, the Society has a good record of hosting competitions. It became the first Irish Society to host the European Universities Debating Championships in 2005, with what is widely considered to have been the best Championships to date. It has also held the World University Debating Championships in 1996 and the John Smith Memorial Mace Final in 2003. The Philosoph hosted the 2009 World University Debating Championship in partnership with The UCC Law Society. Additionally, the society hosts its own Inter-Varsity each December. It dates back to the Mercier Cup of the 1970s whose winners include Charles Kennedy. Noted for its atmosphere, the Cork IV has become the biggest IV in Ireland.