A bit of History
The Joutes Oratoires were first launched in the Republic of Ireland in 1990 with a view to enhancing students’ oral learning skills through a structured system of debates in the French language.
In 1999, links were established with schools in Northern Ireland bringing the All-Ireland dimension to the competition. This Cross Border participation has encouraged schools to come together based on their common interest in French debating.
In 2001, the Franco-Irish competition was launched bringing the competition to the European stage.
Mme Breda Kelly, founder and long-time organiser of the Joûtes, retired from the competition last year after many years of superb work. We are immensely grateful to her for her dedication and passion for the debates.

A flavour of the Competition can be gleaned from topics used in recent years:
Les célébrités sont devenues nos idoles.
Les médias sont nos amis.
Nos meilleures années sont les années scolaires.
Les vacances scolaires sont trop longues.
La religion n’a aucune place dans l’éducation publique.
L’Irlande ressemble plus à l’Amérique qu’à l’Europe.
L’Irlande d’aujourd’hui est un pays trop égoïste.
Il faut baisser l’âge de vote à 16 ans.~
motions for the Final:
Le progrès est toujours pour le mieux.
Il faut préserver des cultures.

In 2001, the Franco-Irish Competition was launched bringing the competition to the European stage. You can visit the archives for the Franco-Irish Competition with stories and pictures for:

(P)&(C) 2008 Les Joutes Oratoires / Alliance Française Dublin Ltd.
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