Joutes Oratoires
Created in 1990, the Joutes Oratoires Interscolaires aim to bring together teachers and students from various Secondary Schools around a shared passion: the French language.
This flagship event highlights the eloquence of young students across Ireland. Since its inception, nearly 3,500 students have taken part in this prestigious competition!
The concept is simple: allowing French students from different schools to meet and debate, in French, on a variety of topics.
To learn more about the participation requirements and start preparing your students, we invite you to consult the official rules:
For more information, contact Lisa Le Bras exams@alliance-francaise.ie / (01) 638 14 46
On March 23rd, the “Joutes Oratoires” French debating competition’s final brought together two Irish secondary schools, Muckross Park College and St. Conleth’s College, for a truly outstanding contest! The motion was “C’était mieux avant”.
The quality of the performances was remarkable. Competing in a language that is not their own, the students demonstrated impressive fluency and confidence, along with clarity, relevance, and a rich variety of arguments. Their stage presence, ability to rebut thoughtfully while remaining fair and respectful, and excellent time management made for a gripping final from start to finish. As if that weren’t enough, the entire debate was delivered with much wit and humour, to the delight of the audience!
The competition took place in 3 phases:
- Autumn 2025: Pre-selection phase with 20 schools across Ireland, debates at the Alliance Française and online for schools outside Dublin City. A big thank you to all the teams, their teachers, and the members of our jury!
- 27th & 29th January 2026: Quarter-finals online opposing:
- Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan
- Holy Faith Secondary School Clontarf
- St. Conleth’s College
- Muckross Park College
- Colaiste Iosagain
- Newpark Comprehensive School
- Heywood Community School
- Alexandra College Dublin
- 23th March 2026: Semi-finals: Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan vs. St. Conleth’s College / Muckross Park College vs. Alexandra College Dublin ; followed by the Grand Final, in public at the Alliance Française.
The 2024-2025 Debating Competition rallied this year over 30 Secondary Schools from all over Ireland.
For the last leg of the Joutes Oratoires 2024-25, 8 finalist schools will compete against each others in quarter finals, semi finals and finals on Monday 10th March:
Holy Faith Secondary School Clontarf, Coláiste Íosagáin, Saint Conleth’s College, Muckross Park College, Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green, Tullamore College, Christ King Girls’ Secondary School, and Saint Columba’s College.
In between competitions, many activities are planned to mingle throughout the day: quizzes, speech dating, games…
At 6pm, the 16 Secondary Schools from all over Ireland which participated in the 1st Round gathered for the big Finale, in public at The French Library, opposing Tullamore College and St. Conleth College.
The 2023-2024 Debating Competition rallied this year over 30 Secondary Schools from all over Ireland.
The motion for the 2024 Quarter Finals was La vie privée devrait rester privée. Congratulations to the winners!
Belvedere College Vs. Holy Child Killiney
Athlone Community College Vs. Coláiste Íosagáin
Heywood Community School Vs. Loreto College.
Gonzaga College SJ Vs Tullamore College
The motion for the 2024 Semi-Finals will be La cohésion sociale disparait en Irlande. Semi-Finals are for the first time open to general public. Make sure to book well in advance!
Loretto College Vs Tullamore College
Belvedere College Vs. Coláiste Íosagáin
The battle of wits will finally come to an end with the two finalist teams competing at the French Library on the motion “La vie est belle”
Belvedere College Vs. Tullamore College
The motion for the 2023 Semifinals is La vie en milieu rural n’est plus viable
Belvedere College Vs. Coláiste Iosagáin
Gonzaga College Vs. Tullamore College
The battle of wits will finally come to an end with the two finalist teams competing at the French Library on the motion: Les valeurs sportives ne sont pas au premier plan dans les sports de haut niveau
Belvedere College Vs. Tullamore College
