About

The L&H is the College Debating Union of University College Dublin, Ireland. 

The L&H was founded in 1855 by Cardinal John Henry Newman, who believed that the true purpose of a university was to provide a forum within which students from a diverse range of faculties could meet, converse and debate the  contentious issues of the day. 

Now in its 170th Session, the L&H remains the definitive College Debating Union. Every Thursday evening, students, lecturers and international experts are pitted against each other to debate the contentious issues of today; abortion, Northern Ireland, the legalisation of prostitution, whether austerity works or not, whether we should believe in a god, among many others. Our House Debates are hosted in the purpose-built Garret FitzGerald Chamber in UCD's new Student Centre. 

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As well as House Debates, the L&H also awards the Honorary Fellowship (also known as the James Joyce Award) of the Society to outstanding individuals at the forefront their fields. Award winners come to address members of the society, and past recipients include JK Rowling, Noam Chomsky, Emeli Sandé, Will Ferrell, Martin Freeman and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A further information can be found here. 

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Other activities include:

The James Joyce Maidens and Maidens Mace competitions, which run in Semester One and Semester Two respectively, welcome students who have not debated at college level before to develop their skills in a friendly and relaxed environment.

Coffee Mornings, which runs every week of the year, offers you free breakfast and a chance to chat with our Committee and fellow students. 

As well as all of this, the L&H runs the best nightclub and social events in UCD. Join us in Orientation week for Boys and Girls, the first college night out, and for an even bigger night out and about during Fresher's Week. Also on the cards is an unforgettable Strauss Ball - forget your debs or any other college ball, Strauss is a Ball like no other!