Editorial to the NUI, Galway College Annual

On the editor’s shoulders rests the pleasant task of introducing the reader to the NUI, Galway College Annual for the academic year 1998/1999. On facing the prospect of writing an editorial the first piece of inspiration that came to mind was that I could read the editorials of the last few years and simply conform to precedence. In the last three years Plato, Goethe and Wordsworth have all been quoted so it therefore appears that I should continue in this fashion.

Ladies and Gentlemen (!), it was once said by King Henry IV of France (1553-1610): “I want there to he no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he cannot have a chicken in his pot every Sunday.” Indeed just like chickens in medieval France, a forum where once a week the students of NUI, Galway can make their way to the Kirwan Theatre, raise their hand, rise to their feet and speak their mind, is a commodity to be held in high esteem.

The NUI, Galway College Annual has a long and distinguished pedigree. The current annual is the grandchild of the Q.C.G. (Queen’s College Galway) College Annual that was promulgated in 1902 being published three times a year. In 1908 QCG died and with it went the Q.C.G. College Annual. 1908 also saw the birth of U.C.G and the U.C.G College Annual. Due to inconsistencies in publication it was felt by the powers that be that responsibility for the production of the Annual ought to he delegated on the shoulders of the most mature, responsible and intelligent group of students in the college, and so from 1913 responsibility for the publication of the annual has fallen into the hands of the Lit & Deb. The Literary and Debating Society is the largest society in the British Isles and Ireland. It is also the oldest society in NUI, Galway (having been established in 1846), and currently holds the world record for the longest continuous debate. The U.C.G. College Annual enjoyed a long existence, unfortunately however it passed away somewhat peacefully in 1997 leaving in its place the Annual that you are currently reading.

Indeed not unlike a circle the Literary & Debating society seems to enjoy something of a cyclical existence. The most significant feature of the 152nd Session has been the marked absence of the old hacks, the experienced “elder statesman” type debaters like MacSweeney, Landers, Lynch, Hughes, Crehan and Mac Giolla Rí who have all departed. Although the presence of such people (whom it would appear possess the ability to stand up and speak with considerable eloquence for eight to ten minutes without showing any sign of preparation) has undoubtedly been missed it has possibly led to a less intimidating atmosphere from the point of view of the first time speaker. This I believe is borne out in the fact that so many excellent speakers from first year have emerged during the course of the year. More first years than ever before have taken part in the Times and Mace competitions and the Interfaculty Debate final was won by a team from first year. A bright future lies in store for the Literary and Debating Society.

Conor Nelson (2^nd Arts)

Literary Officer