Irish Rising in America

The 2006 Irish Tour of America

Oregon ® California ® Utah ® Minnesota ® Arkansas ® Florida

Departure from Dublin: Weds March 22

Return to Dublin: Sunday, April 9

Highlights

On Wednesday, March 22 Fly from Dublin to Paris to Chicago. Host Katie Neff.

Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin

On Thursday, March 23, Irish fly to Portland, Oregon for national championships in Corvallis, Oregon at Oregon State University. The Irish will stay at the Corvallis Inn.

Hosts: Brent Northup and Dan Lair. Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin

On Friday, March 24, Opening Ceremony. The Irish will debate three top Americans at 4 p.m. at the Opening Assembly on the Oregon State University campus. Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin

On Saturday through Monday, March 25, 26, 27, The Irish are guests at the American national championship tournament.  Possible trip to the Oregon coast – big waves, good chowder.

Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin

On Tuesday, March 28, The Irish leave the championship tournament in Oregon for the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. They will travel in vans, with the University of Pacific team. Hosts will be Marlin Bates and Chanda Kroll.

Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin

On Thursday, March 30, The Irish leave University of Pacific (airport Sacramento, SMF) for the University of Utah in Salt Lake City (airport SLC). Diarmuid joins them from Dublin. Host will be Dan Lair. Irish: Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin, Diarmuid Early.

On Sunday, April 2, The Irish leave Utah (airport SLC) very early for Century College at White Bear Lake near Minneapolis (via Minneapolis/St. Paul airport MSP). Early arrival preferred to allow attendance at a professional basketball game early afternoon. Host will be Patricia Steck. Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin, Diarmuid Early.

On Tuesday, April 4, The Irish leave Minneapolis-St. Paul airport (MSP) very early for University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (airport XNA). Early arrival preferred. Host is Dave Morris. Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin, Diarmuid Early.

On Thursday, April 6, The Irish leave Fayetteville (via airport XNA) very early for the University of Miami (airport MIA). Early arrival preferred. Host will be David Steinberg. Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin, Diarmuid Early.

On Sunday, April 9, Leave for Ireland from Miami (airport MIA).

Irish: Mark Murphy, Barry Glynn, Louisa Ni Eideáin, Diarmuid Early.

Irish Tour of America, arranged by Pax Rhetorica
Center for Global Dialogue
EIN: 81-1274216
Brent Northup, Founding Director

Biographies

Introducing the Irish: Barry Glynn, Mark Murphy, Diarmuid Early & Louisa Ní Éideáin

Ireland has crowned its debating champions for 2006 and they are headed to Oregon to oppose three top American debaters in a March 24 public debate that precedes the start of the NPDA national tournament.

Four Irish debaters will make the trip, but only three will be present in NPDA. The fourth, Diarmuid Early, will join his friends after competing at the European Universities Debating Championships, held in Berlin the same weekend as NPDA.

Mark Murphy and Barry Glynn, Kings Inn law students, won the team title, while Diarmuid Early of University College Cork was named Best Individual. Louisa Ní Éideáin, who holds degrees in music and English from University College Dublin, was the Individual runner up. The Irish Times Final was held in Galway on Feb. 24.

‘We’re thrilled with victory tonight and looking forward immensely to visiting the U.S.,’’ said Murphy, echoing the excitement of all four winners.

Barry Glynn: Glynn, 22, earned a history and politics degree from University College Dublin before enrolling at Kings Inn Law School in Dublin. Glynn, a previous semi-finalist in the Irish Times competition, has won numerous college tournaments including those held at Trinity College and UCD. He’s no stranger to World competition, having won the Worlds School tournament in 2002. He’s debated for six years.

“I love to debate because it gives me a chance to prove to others that what I’m saying isn’t total garbage,” mused Glynn, on the evening of his victory. “I debate because it allows me to use the only two talents I possess – lying and shouting.”

Mark Murphy:

Murphy, 22, studied law as an undergraduate at UCD before enrolling at King’s Inn Law School. Murphy, twice an Irish Times semi-finalist, has competed at the World Championships and has won numerous honors in collegiate competition. Murphy will sit for one of his law school finals during the Irish tour of America.

Both Glynn and Murphy are headed for careers in law.

“Debating is fun,” said Murphy. “You get to meet all sorts of people and argue with them about anything.”

Diarmuid Early: Early, 21, who was born in Galway, is a third-year math and physics student at University College Cork. He plans on earning a doctorate in mathematics. Early has two brothers who are students at Trinity and at Harvard. Early, an Irish Times semi-finalist for three years, was a semi-finalist at the European Debating Championships and a Quarterfinalist at the World Championships.

“I like to debate because I’m argumentative by nature,” said Early. “And it’s interesting.”

Louisa Ní Éideáin: 

Louisa Ní Éideáin, 22, was born in Dublin and grew up in Kildare, southwest of Dublin. Both her parents are educators, with her father teaching zoology at UCD.

Ní Éideáin is a three-time semi-finalist at the Irish Times Final and competed at Worlds in Malaysia in 2005. She’s won numerous college debating honors with her partner of four years, Declan Bruton. Ní Éideáin was Gael-Linn All-Ireland Schools’ Champion in 2002, a competition held in original Irish language. She hopes to pursue a career in social policy, perhaps as a journalist or consultant.

“I am honored to represent Ireland on such a prestigious tour,” said Louisa. “I like debating because I am useless at sport.”

All the winners have traveled briefly in the United States before. Glynn has briefly visited New York and the South, in two trips. Murphy has had brief vacations along the East Coast from New York to South Carolina to Florida. Ní Éideáin has visited New York and Alabama. Early, whose brother studies at Harvard, has made a number of trips to the states to locations such as Boston, New York and Florida.

All are thrilled at the prospect of the American tour.

“It’s a pleasure to represent Ireland on an international stage and to get to take a unique trip like this,” said Early.

Glynn agrees.

“I’m absolutely delighted to win, and even happier that I get the chance to visit the U.S. once more. On a scale of ‘one to thrilled’ I’m at least a seven.”

And Ní Éideáin sees a deeper purpose beyond just a fun trip overseas.

“I feel strongly that the more people hold open debate on relevant issues, the better it is for society,” she said.