The
Glasgow Ancients
For Valentine’s Weekend 2003 the Lit & Deb was
represented at the Glasgow Ancients Intervarsity and the Strathclyde IV. Two
teams, in the persons of Stephen Nolan and Sheelagh
McGuinness, and Shauna Gillan and Martin Collins, took part and did the Society
proud. Also taking part from Galway was the Law Society team of Peter O’Brien
and Barry Crushell.
The Glasgow Ancients is an invitation-only IV, and the
UCG teams did remarkably well, despite almost boarding a flight for Bristol and
running across the tarmac to the other plane while the intercom called out our
names. The finalists were announced at the Gala Banquet and there was much
excitement when the UCG A Team of Collins and Gillan
were announced as one of the final four teams. The motion for debate was
“that the French are nothing but cheese munching surrender monkeys”. And
if you say that motion with a Glaswegian accent then you will not have a clue in
the world what a “serenda” monkey
is!
In any case the motion was absolutely squirreled by a
UCC team into a debate about CAP reform and the Eastern European countries. For
such a prestigious debate the only highlight of the final was when the
adjudicators took a toilet break halfway through and the Irish contingent began
singing “The Fields of Athenry”. The results were
close but in the end a UCD team (shame) won while the UCG team was deemed the
runner-up.
As with the following night in Strathclyde, the afters
were exceptional. To be able to do a pub crawl without leaving a building is an
experience in itself. The SU should take note - it is possible to have four
nightclubs and six bars in the same building and have them all make money.
Overall, having a Lit & Deb team in the final of one
of the most prestigious competitions is an achievement in itself. It had been
far too long a wait since a UCG team was in the final of a major competition and
one hopes that it will not be as long again.
Well done to all concerned and a special mention to all
who took part in the qualifying competition for travelling to Glasgow.
Martin Collins (3rd B.C.L.)
Glasgow Ancients
Finalist
Galway teams
at the Glasgow Ancients: L-R: Peter
O’Brien, Sheelagh McGuinness, Stephen Nolan, Barry Crushell, Shauna Gillan, Martin
Collins