Irish Rising in America
The 2005 Irish Tour of America
Highlights
Wednesday, March 16: Irish arrive at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Thursday, March 17: Irish debate the Americans at NPDA in Lubbock.
Friday-Sunday, March 18-20: Irish guests at NPDA (Brent Northup, host)
Saturday, March 19: “cultural” outing in central Texas. Armadillo hunt?
Sunday, March 20: Irish receive farewell salutation at NPDA awards banquet
Monday, March 21: Irish travel by car to Alpine, Texas on way to Sul Ross State
(Esther Rumsey, host)
Wednesday, March 23: fly from Midland, Texas to St. Louis, Missouri on way to
University of Illinois-Springfield (Thomas Bartl, host).
Friday, March 25: Irish fly from St. Louis to Portland, Oregon on the way to U of Oregon (Aaron Donaldson, host).
Monday, March 28: Irish fly from Portland to Chicago. Katie Neff, host.
Tuesday, March 29: Irish fly from Chicago to AVP (Barre-Scranton airport) on way to King’s College, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania (Mike Berry, host)
Thursday, March 31: Irish fly early morning to MIA (Miami International) on way to the University of Miami (David Steinberg, host)
Sunday, April 3: Irish fly to Dublin from Miami International.
Irish Tour of America, arranged by Pax Rhetorica
Center for Global Dialogue
EIN: 81-1274216
Brent Northup, Founding Director
Biographies
Introducing the Irish: Frank Kennedy & Ross McGuire
Two future barristers who attend the University College Dublin will represent the Irish on the 2005 Tour of America. Frank Kennedy and Ross McGuire, both of the University College Dublin, were honored at the Irish Times debate final held on the UCD campus, Wednesday, March 2.
Kennedy and McGuire will debate three Americans in the annual Irish/American Public Debate, to be held on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, at Texas Tech University during the National Parliamentary Debate Association Championships.
Frank Kennedy: Frank Kennedy, 21, who studies undergraduate law at UCD, has a strong interest in politics and business. He is an experienced debater who has reached the quarterfinals of the Irish Finals in two previous years, competed at the World Parliamentary championships and has won numerous honors this year. This year he was crowned the Irish Times Individual National Champion.
The offspring of two economists, Kennedy has worked as an intern in Washington D.C. and visited San Francisco, so he’s no stranger to the U.S.
Kennedy, raised in Dublin, was thrilled to be chosen for the trip, but was sad that he was chosen as individual champion over his partner, Noel McGrath.
“It’s bittersweet to be chosen over Noel, but he’s a better debater than me. To win without him also being chosen was difficult.”
Ross McGuire: Ross McGuire is a second-year history and political science student at UCD. He envisions a career as a barrister or one involved in policy development. McGuire has won numerous “first year” awards at Maiden competitions, and was a semi-finalist at the Birmingham Intervarsity competition. In high school, he reached quarterfinals at the World School championships.
McGuire, a Dublin native, has a strong interest in theater and in politics. He’s been acting for 12 years, and has actively worked on numerous political campaigns. His dad runs a software company, his mother is studying horticulture and his older brother is a playwright.
“I’m ecstatic to be chosen,” said McGuire, who was honored as the second best individual at the Irish championships. McGuire won the trip when both members of the winning debate team – Dave Whelan and Sam Collins of King’s Inn – withdrew from the trip because of a conflict on the dates of the trip. Usually, three Irish debaters travel to America, but because of the withdrawal only two, Kennedy and McGuire, will make the trip this year.