IrFUW Public Speaking Competition 2023

The final of the Irish Federation of University Women (IrFUW) Annual Public Speaking Competition for girls under 15 years of age took place on Saturday, March 4th at 2.00 pm in the Uí Chaidain Theatre, Arts Block, Trinity College Dublin. The Competition’s origins date back to 1957 when Poppy Corbett at the Galway Graduate Association initiated a competition to empower College women. It moved to its current format for girls under 15 years old in 1991 and, taking out the recent years missed due to COVID, is now in its 30th year. 

Anne Hunter, President of the IrFUW addressing the audience, Adjudicators and Competitors said “the sixteen finalists are already Winners, having won a Competition in a prestigious University. You are now competing in the 2023 Final but no matter who wins today you all go home as winners in your own right”.  The competition she said, “summed up the IrFUW ethos with women graduates who had successful careers gathering together to support sixteen young girls from across Ireland, North and South, participating in this very competitive final.”

After heats in University College Galway, Queen’s University Belfast, University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast who qualified through the regional heat in Belfast on February 18th, were declared to be the Winning Team and awarded the Poppy Corbett Trophy.   Bailieborough Community School, who qualified through the Trinity College Dublin heat on Feb 25th were Runners-Up and were awarded the Ann Budd Salver. Rachel Gallagher from Ballinrobe Community School who qualified through the regional heat in Galway on February 8th won the Best Speaker at the March 4th Final and secured the Joyce Craig Cup for her speech on Friendship.

Looking back on this year’s competition the Trinity Women Graduates (TWG) Public Speaking co-ordinator Majella Kelleher said, “for me it was really exciting to be back after a break of three years due to Covid. The atmosphere was wonderful and as ever the girls were very impressive.  It is an event that really gives me hope for the future and I am convinced that we have at least one future Politician or Business Leader in the room.”

Read more about the IrFUW Public Speaking Competition here: IrFUW Public Speaking Competition