GWR™ Record Celebrations

During the preparation for the Hist250 celebrations, the then Auditor Luke Fehily proposed that the Hist should apply to Guinness World Records for recognition as the World’s Oldest Student Society. By December 2019 the stringent criteria had been laid out, involving a thorough collection of evidence, made difficult by the Society’s relationship with the College between 1794 and 1843, and rigorous examination by expert witnesses. The effort was finally completed over 2 years later, during the summer of the 253rd Session, with the Hist officially being awarded the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Record for the Oldest Student Society.

This effort was made possible through the hard work of Luke Fehily, Auditor of the 250th Session, and Ben McConkey, Member of the Committee of the 250th Session in preparing the case for the application, the advice of Hist Vice-President Professor Patrick Geoghegan, and the time and expertise of Professor Marianne Elliot OBE, Director of the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool, and Professor Roy Foster, Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, who served as our expert witnesses to validate our application.

In recognition of this achievement, a Commemorations Committee was formed to organise a series of celebrations to be held in October 2023 during the Society’s 254th Session. These events were a huge success, in particular our 27 hour and 58 minute marathon debate where we successfully broke a second Guinness World Record. You can read about the rest of the events below.

Media enquiries may be directed to Áine Kennedy at auditor@thehist.com

Commemorative Events Programme

Celebratory Dinner

As part of the celebrations, a Celebratory Dinner was held in the Dining Hall, open to Honorary Members, Current Members, Trinity Alumni, and anyone who considers themselves a friend of the Society. You can find the photos for each individual event by clicking its corresponding photo.

Corresponding Societies Debate

After its inception, the Hist inspired the creation of debating unions in other universities, including Cambridge, Oxford and Durham, with reciprocal agreements to allow access for each others’ members. In 1920, the Society celebrated its 150th anniversary with a corresponding debate against the Edinburgh Speculative Society and the Oxford, Cambridge and Durham Unions. The 200th and 250th anniversary celebrations featured ‘inter-debates’ in a similar manner, with students from around the world.

To commemorate our achievement, we will be held another corresponding debate to honour one of the Hist’s long running traditions. Students from Oxford, Durham, Queen’s, Edinburgh, UCD, and of course, the Hist, came together to debate the motion “This House Would Break Up the United Kingdom”, with former Irish Ambassador to the UK, Bobby McDonagh, as guest Chair and the motion being carried! You can watch the recording of this debate on our Instagram and it will also be uploaded to our YouTube in the coming weeks.

Extraordinary General Meeting

With a panel of distinguished historians and scholars Patrick Geoghegan, Roy Foster, Marianne Elliott, and recent graduate and former Officer of the Society, Stephen Ryan, we journied through the annals of the Society's storied past. As we received the Guinness World Records certificate from official adjudicator, Joanne Brent, a tribute to our enduring commitment to intellectual discourse, we took this moment to reflect upon the pivotal role the Society has played in shaping debates, narratives, and leaders for centuries in the very room its first meeting was held.

The Future of University Education - Panel Discussion

Taking inspiration from former Hist President Thomas Davis's assertion in 1840 that debating societies and student organisation played a crucial role in remedying the defects of a university education, we convened with a panel of esteemed experts to discuss in an age of social change and technological advancements, what are the defects in University Education, and how can they be remedied. With backgrounds ranging from political journalism to intellectual history and ground-breaking intersections of engineering with the arts, Carl O’Brien of the Irish Times, our very own Provost Linda Doyle, Cambridge’s Prof Stefan Collini, and student Ella O’Neill, delved into the evolving landscape of university education. You can watch the recording of this event on our YouTube now.

On the Importance of Student Debate - Keynote Address

More than ever before, student debate and action has been at the forefront of social and political change globally. From the Hong Kong Democracy Movement which grew out of the Hong Kong Federation for Students, to union elections being the primary outlet for political expression in occupied Palestine, university campuses continue to be an epicentre of historic events. With speeches from Taoiseach Leo Varadker, author and champion debater Bo Seo, TCDSU President László Molnárfi, and student speaker Maggie Larson, Malika Maniar, and Andy Cullinan, we explored the importance of student debate today. You can watch the recording of this event on our YouTube linked below.