UCC Philosophical Society
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| Formation | 1850 |
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| Type | Student society |
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Parent organization
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University College Cork |
| Website | UCCPhilosoph.com |
The UCC Philosophical Society, Commonly known as the Philosoph, is the largest debating society at University College Cork, Ireland. The Philosoph was founded in 1850, making it the oldest society at UCC. The Society carries out a number of functions, including weekly debates with high-profile guest speakers, participating in debating competitions, running workshops for the students of UCC to develop their public speaking skills and running debating competitions and workshops for schoolchildren (including the Denny Schools Debating Competition). In the 1960s Seán MacBride SC and Nobel Peace Prize winner called the Philosoph "the centre of independent thought in Ireland" when discussing the state of the nation. It has been a feature of scholarly life in Cork for generations.
In 1986 two Philosoph members won the World University Debating Championship at Fordham University. The Philosoph remains the only society in Ireland to have won the World University Debating Championships.
House meetings of the society are held every Monday evening during UCC's term time at 7.30pm, in Kane G19 - though larger meetings are sometimes moved elsewhere. The meetings usually begin with the reading of minutes of the previous meeting, followed by the main debate and ending with the room being opened to the floor from private members time.
The University Philosophical Society has hosted many esteemed and prestigious guests throughout the various sessions. Guests have included Judge Maureen Harding Clark of the International Criminal Court, Iar-Thaoiseach Dr.Garret FitzGerald, Gerry Adams, Michael Foot MP, Adrian Hardiman, Catherine McGuinness, Michael McDowell Teachta Dála, Seamus Mallon, Sen. David Norris, Iar-Thaoiseach Liam Cosgrave, Princess Anna Radziwiłł, Noam Chomsky, Eoin Colfer, Erskine Childers, George Galloway (who walked out mid-debate) Nobel Laureates Mairead Corrigan and Seán MacBride
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