The BCS junior debating team traveled to Loreto Beaufort in Dublin to participate in the Loreto Beauford Mace.  The Mace Matheson debates follow the British Parliamentary style of debating. The motions on the day were as follows:

1. 'THW stop funding for Irish language activities in the Gaeltacht'
   
2. 'THW allow parents to elect the principal of their child's school'
   
3. 'THW tie development aid to a country's human rights record'​
   
4. 'THW force all political parties to have female leaders'

Well done to Josie O Connor who has made it to the final six in the senior category of the National Poetry Aloud competition. Josie will travel to the National Library of Ireland on Friday and will recite the following two poems from memory: 'State Funeral' by Thomas MacCarthy and 'Literacy Class, South Inner City' by Paula Meehan. This is a wonderful achievement and BCS is very proud of Josie. Well done!

Well done to the first years, transition years and fifth years who participated in the Poetry Aloud Competition today in the Mullingar Arts Centre. BCS is very lucky to have such wonderful students to represent it and they certainly did their school proud. Well done everybody.

Proposing the motion for the 8th of February were Emma C and Cliona M. Opposing the motion were Tyra M and Katie M. Emma opened the debate arguing the correlation between poverty and crime. She stated that people who are socially deprived have less opportunities than their more affluent counterparts. She said that those who were socially deprived had less to aspire to and so crime was a means to bettering oneself, in terms of getting money fast. Criminality was normalised and urged the audience to acknowledge the problem and do something about it. On the opposing team, Tyra spoke about the reasons why people turn to crime, noting that lots of wealthy people turn to crime- for more money, the thrill, power trip. She stated that this was a negative stereotype and said it was imperative that we judge the action and not the person. Just because you come from a 'rough area' doesn't mean you're doomed. Proposing the motion, Cliona talked about the importance of parental influence and the normalisation and acceptance of criminality in some areas. She spoke eloquently on the 'herd mentality' and how lack opportunities made young people turn to crime. Once you started on this path, she argued that it was very difficult to get off the path of crime. Opposing the motion, Katie M spoke about crime and what she called the 'big crimes' which she argued were perpetrated by all kinds of people with all different kinds of backgrounds. She spoke about tax evasion by the likes of Donal Trump and white collar crime. She talked about negative stereotypes and how some people doom themselves because of other people's attitudes of where they live. She talked about the importance of freedom and the freedom of choice and how ultimately people make their own choices. You can't blame it on geography!
Winners of today's debate were the proposition.
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Best speaker for today: Tyra
Well done girls.

Very early on Saturday morning the 4th of February BCS' junior debating and public speaking team headed for the big city of Dublin to participate in the DUGWA's public speaking for girls in Trinity College Dublin. Competing also in the competition were St. Joseph's Secondary School, Rush, Co. Dublin, Welsey College, Dublin, Loreto College, St. Stephen's Green, Assumption Secondary School, Walkinstown, Dublin, St. Mark's Secondary School, Dublin, St Joseph's Secondary School, Clonee, Dublin. Each member of the BCS team had chosen two of the six prescribed topics and had researched and had some preparatory work done on these topics. On the day, the girls were given an aspect of  one of their chosen topics and had 20 minutes to prepare and deliver a speech in the Synge lecture hall in Trinity. One of Tyra's topics was the topic of the environment and she was asked to speak on how 'Green energy is best'. One of Katie's selected  topics was the topic of modern living and technology and she was asked to speak on how 'Online bullying is the greatest threat facing young people'. One of Emma's topics was the topic of leisure and on the day she was asked to speak on the aspect of' Society places too much emphasis on work. What was leisure time?' The overall winners of the competition were Assumption Secondary School, Walkinstown, Dublin. However, Bailieborough Community School also  enjoyed great success with our very own Emma Clarke being named the best speaker. Emma will now represent Trinity College Dublin in the Irish Federation of Universities Public Speaking Competition on the 11th of March in Trinity. Well done to all the girls. They were a credit to their school.

On a frosty Saturday morning  at 7: 30 am, some very sleep-deprived BCS students left the glistening beauty of the school grounds and headed for Castleknock Community School to participate in the Mace Matheson debates. In total, 72 teams took part in the Leinster final. Bailieborough had 3 teams taking part in the Castleknock Mace Matheson debates.There was lots of lively debate, lots of fun was had and lots of pizza consumed. A good day was held by all. Emma Clarke was listed among the top ten speakers overall in the final tab. Overall, our school teams were awarded fifth place, twenty-sixth and forty-fourth place. Well done to everyone involved.

Round 1: "This house would prioritise people with healthy lifestyles".

Round 2: "This house would allow mothers to raise their children in prison"

Round 3: "This house believes democracy has failed"

Round 4: "This house would allow you to legally use lethal force against home invaders"

Leinster Final: "Presuming there was a tablet that stopped people from falling in love, this house would take the tablet"

The Matheson Mace are delighted to announce that we will be joining forces with the Law Society in University College Dublin to bring you the Inaugural Matheson National Debating Championships.

On the 18th of February we are asking you to send us your best Senior speakers (4th-6th years) to take part in this one day event to determine the country’s top speakers. Judged by Ireland’s most distinguished University Speakers, co-hosted by the Nation’s largest schools debating competition and one of the largest student societies in Europe and sponsored by one of Ireland’s most prestigious law firms, the Matheson National DebatingChampionships is an event not to be missed.

We know interest will be huge so places will be limited. As such we are asking you to register your interest by Friday 16th December. Only schools that have registered their interest by the deadline will be eligible to enter teams.