Armagh native wins 2026 McCarthy debate
Armagh native and Dublin-based civil servant Conor McArdle was awarded first place at the 2026 McCarthy debate.
The annual comic debate at the King's Inns in memory of the late Mr Justice Niall McCarthy and his wife Barbara (29 April) saw four participants argue the motion: ‘This house believes that the problem with artificial intelligence is not its intelligence, but its self-confidence.’
Motion
Rory Mannion and Christina Mohan spoke in favour of the motion, with David Leahy and Conor McArdle speaking against.
McArdle said he was delighted to be selected as winning speaker by the Benchers of the Society, who included Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe of the Supreme Court and Michael McDowell SC.
He received his prize from Niall McCarthy who, along with his wife Niamh, attended the debate on behalf of the McCarthy family.
McArdle completed both his law degree and a masters in human-rights law at Queen’s University, Belfast.
He has previously worked at the European External Action Service Delegation to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris, and the Irish Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels.
McArdle intends to begin practice at the Bar in 2027, following the completion of a BL at the King’s Inns.