The UCC Philosophical Society, also known as the 'Philosoph',[1] is the largest debating society at University College Cork, Ireland. The Philosoph was founded in 1850, making it the oldest society at UCC.[2] The society carries out a number of functions, including weekly debates with guest speakers, participating in debating competitions, running workshops for the students of UCC to develop their public speaking skills and running debating competitions and workshops for schoolchildren (including the Denny Schools Debating Competition). In the 1960s, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Seán MacBride described the Philosoph as "the centre of independent thought in Ireland".[3] House meetings of the society are held every Monday evening during UCC's term time.[4]
 | |
| Formation | 1850 |
|---|---|
| Type | Student society |
Parent organization | University College Cork |
Former members
editSeán Ó Riada was a former auditor of the society,[5][better source needed] and former presidents include Charles Haughey.[citation needed] Other former members include professor Kieran Healy of the University of Arizona.[citation needed] Journalist Brendan O' Connor was a former recording secretary.[citation needed]
Competitions
editThe society runs several internal debating competitions each year.[citation needed] It also funds and supports speakers in attending competitions elsewhere in Ireland and internationally.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] The society has also previously entered the John Smith Memorial Mace and the Irish Times competition.[citation needed]
Internationally, the society participates in the World Universities Debating Competition and the European Universities Debating Competition, and has had some success in international debating. For example, two UCC debaters members won the World University Debating Championship at Fordham University in 1986.[6]
The society also hosts competitions, and became the first Irish society to host the European Universities Debating Championships in 2005.[citation needed] UCC was also the venue for the World University Debating Championships in 1996 and in 2009.[7] The 2009 event was jointly hosted by the UCC's Law Society and Philosophical Society.[8]
The Philosoph also hosts its own Inter-Varsity each December and previously hosted the Cork Invitational Intervarsity (IV).[citation needed]
See also
edit- College Historical Society (Trinity College, Dublin)
- University Philosophical Society (Trinity College, Dublin)
- Literary and Historical Society, University College Dublin
- Literary and Debating Society (NUI Galway)
- Maynooth University Literary & Debating Society
- Law Society, University College Dublin
References
edit- ^ "Galloway takes legal advice over 'attack' at UCC debate". Irish Examiner. 8 November 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
Galloway returned to England yesterday morning without contacting the [UCC] Philosophical Society (Philosoph)
- ^ "Maume's History - UCC Philosophical Society". uccphilosoph.com. Retrieved 7 April 2015.[unreliable source?]
- ^ "Getting To Grips With The Bigger Questions". Irish Examiner. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ "House Meetings - UCC Philosophical Society". uccphilosoph.com. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ "Auditors - Former Auditors of the Philosophical Society". uccphilosoph.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019.
- ^ O'Brien, Carl (18 February 2020). "Wit and warmth: The secret weapons of Irish debaters The first Irish Times Debate took place 60 years ago. Former student debaters look back". Irish Times. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Students show off the gift of the gab". Irish Examiner. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ "Cork for second hosting of world debate event". Irish Examiner. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
External links
edit- UCC Philosophical Society website (archived 2022)