This effort was made possible through the hard work of Luke Fehily, Auditor of the 250th Session, and Ben McConkey, Member of the Committee of the 250th Session in preparing the case for the application, the advice of Hist Vice-President Professor Patrick Geoghegan, and the time and expertise of Professor Marianne Elliot OBE, Director of the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool, and Professor Roy Foster, Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, who served as our expert witnesses to validate our application.
Guiness World Record
Commemorative Events Programme
Celebratory Dinner
As part of the celebrations, a Celebratory Dinner was held in the Dining Hall, open to Honorary Members, Current Members, Trinity Alumni, and anyone who considers themselves a friend of the Society.
Corresponding Societies Debate
After its inception, the Hist inspired the creation of debating unions in other universities, including Cambridge, Oxford and Durham, with reciprocal agreements to allow access for each others’ members. In 1920, the Society celebrated its 150th anniversary with a corresponding debate against the Edinburgh Speculative Society and the Oxford, Cambridge and Durham Unions. The 200th and 250th anniversary celebrations featured ‘inter-debates’ in a similar manner, with students from around the world.
To commemorate our achievement, we will hold another corresponding debate to honour one of the Hist’s long-running traditions. Students from Oxford, Durham, Queen’s, Edinburgh, UCD, and of course, the Hist, came together to debate the motion “This House Would Break Up the United Kingdom”, with former Irish Ambassador to the UK, Bobby McDonagh, as guest Chair and the motion being carried!
Extraordinary General Meeting
With a panel of distinguished historians and scholars Patrick Geoghegan, Roy Foster, Marianne Elliott, and recent graduate and former Officer of the Society, Stephen Ryan, we journied through the annals of the Society's storied past. As we received the Guinness World Records certificate from official adjudicator, Joanne Brent, a tribute to our enduring commitment to intellectual discourse, we took this moment to reflect upon the pivotal role the Society has played in shaping debates, narratives, and leaders for centuries in the very room its first meeting was held.
Future of University Education & Importance of Student Debate
Taking inspiration from former Hist President Thomas Davis's assertion in 1840 that debating societies and student organisations played a crucial role in remedying the defects of a university education, we convened with a panel of esteemed experts to discuss in an age of social change and technological advancements, what are the defects in University Education, and how can they be remedied. With backgrounds ranging from political journalism to intellectual history and ground-breaking intersections of engineering with the arts, Carl O’Brien of the Irish Times, our very own Provost Linda Doyle, Cambridge’s Prof Stefan Collini, and student Ella O’Neill, delved into the evolving landscape of university education. You can watch the recording of this event on our YouTube now.
More than ever before, student debate and action has been at the forefront of social and political change globally. From the Hong Kong Democracy Movement which grew out of the Hong Kong Federation for Students, to union elections being the primary outlet for political expression in occupied Palestine, university campuses continue to be an epicentre of historic events. With speeches from Taoiseach Leo Varadker, author and champion debater Bo Seo, TCDSU President László Molnárfi, and student speaker Maggie Larson, Malika Maniar, and Andy Cullinan, we explored the importance of student debate today. You can watch the recording of this event on our YouTube.
