Debating
Structured debate is an entertaining and highly effective way of developing articulacy, oratory and communication skills, and is an activity that is close to the heart of the school.
Sandford Park’s reputation as being one of the leading debating colleges in Ireland is very well deserved. The school participates in a wide array of Public Speaking compettions and events in a variety of different languages, and has won a very large number of national, provincial and local championships. The speakers of the school have also been involved in international student conferences and have debated against American colleges in the United States. The success that has been achieved has been brought about largely by the dedication of Sandford’s debaters who work tirelessly to hone their speaking skills and to develop their points and arguments. Their performances and triumphs are a major source of pride to their mentors and trainers, and to the greater school community.
Concern
Sandford Park School has won the Concern All-Ireland Cup championship on three occasions and the Concern All-Ireland Shield title once, making it the most successful school in this competition in the country.
Teams from the entirety of the island of Ireland compete in the Concern competition and grapple with motions which centre both upon the problems of the Global South and upon domestic questions and issues. Hundreds of schools take part in this event on a yearly basis and it is held by many to be Ireland’s most prestigious public speaking championship. The competition commences with a league phase and culminates in a series of keenly contested ‘knockout’ encounters. Debates take place across the country on virtually every night of the academic year. The Concern national final is one of the most significant events in Ireland’s debating calendar, and Sandford has been luckly enough to have prevailed in a good number of them.
Leinster Schools
The Leinster Schools Debating Championship is a competition which is organised by the student debating societies of UCD and Trinity College every year.
The “parliamentary” form of debate, which requires speakers to compose speeches on the spot with a minimum of research or preparation, is the one that is employed in this competition. Sandford has participated in this event, on an annual basis, for decades now, and during that time, has reached the final or semi-final stages on very many occasions. When it comes to the “parliamentry” type of debating, the school has had a distinguished record in other competitions. In 1999, Sandford Park became the first Irish school ever to win the international Observer Mace championship.
Gaeilge - Gael Linn
Comórtas an Phiarsaigh is the biggest and most prestigious debating competition in the Irish language in the country. It is overseen and run by the cultural organisation Gael Linn and involves hundreds of schools from all parts of Ireland.
The competition is made up of both a junior and senior section and secondary school students of all ages take part. Sandford Park School has an enviable record in this championship. Since its first appearance in the event in 1991, Sandford has participated in some twenty-five provincial finals at both the junior and senior level, has won 15 Leinster titles, and has gone on to win 5 All-Ireland titles, the highest number secured by any school in the country, a truly extraordinary feat which has brought great distinction to this academy. Saint Patrick is reputed to have said “is enech cach aite airdircus a dhám-scol” or in English “the pride of all schoolteachers is the triumph of their pupils”. Never a truer word was said. Tá gaisce déanta acu.
Spanish - STA
Each year, Sandford Park School participates in the Association of Spanish Teachers Debating Competitions or Debating Blitz events for Senior Cycle Spanish students.
Over the past number of years, many of our TY, Fifth and Sixth Year students have debated against teams from all over the country. The purpose of these debates is for students to enjoy Spanish and improve their level and confidence by speaking in front of an audience in a language they only took up in secondary school. It is always a very positive experience for students.
Comhairle na nÓg
Comhairle na nÓg are child and youth councils in the 31 local authorities of Ireland, which give children and young people the opportunity to be involved in the development of local services and policies.
Comhairle na nÓg was created to enable young people to have a voice on the services, policies and issues that affect them in their local area.
Model United Nations
Model United Nations, lead by Ms O’Brien and Ms McDunphy, aims to build an understanding of current global challenges amongst the next generation of world leaders and thinkers while developing the skills that young people require to work and live in a globalised world.
The experience allows the students to build confidence in public speaking as well as a lasting interest in international affairs and a deep understanding of how the UN works. Sandford Park School have set up a Model United Nations Club for both junior and senior students. Students take on the role of diplomats and political leaders and debate global issues by participating in simulations of international diplomatic forums such as the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly. Participants develop and promote their own solutions to pressing world problems, negotiating for support for their ideas with other young people from across the world. MUN offers a unique opportunity for students to improve the skills they acquire in the classroom alongside those they have developed in other co-curricular activities including: negotiation, consensus building, dispute resolution and diplomacy, responsibility and independent learning, cultural empathy and understanding alternative viewpoints, research and the effective assimilation of information, building relationships rapidly with students from other cultures and nationalities, leadership, persuasion and influencing others and confidence and self-reliance.