The Time: Wednesday 7th of October.  The Place: the Alliance Française.  The People:  Mary Rose, Francesca, Brendan and (finally, Daniel).   In just about 15 minutes they will face the King’s Hospital team just up the stairs, in the library. For now, it is all smiles and jokes. But soon it will all become serious business… or will it?

Tonight, the motion is that PE should be evaluated at the Leaving Cert. The St Conleth’s team is against it. The crowd is ready to cheer (Merci à Patrick, Kevin et à la famille de Mary Rose), the hearts are pumping, the president announces the beginning of the Joutes.

The arguments are flying high, the rebuttals are becoming more and more intense, the students are thirsty, but they find the strength to finish their speech, calm and serene. The team captains conclude. The members of the jury vanish in another room.

Eventually, after over 10 minutes of discussion, the judges reappear . In her own word, the President says that they had to take “the hardest decision they ever had to take at a Joutes Oratoire debate”. It was tight, very tight, but the quality of the arguments prevailed. And the judges eventually gave the advantage to St Conleth’s.  Bravo à toute l’équipe et à très bientôt!  Mr Porzadny