PODCAST · society
The Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society Recordings
by The Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society (The Literific)
The Literary & Scientific Society, known as the Literific, is the debating society at the Queen’s University of Belfast. The Literific was founded by E.L. Godkin in 1850, making it the oldest and first student society at Queen’s. Today it remains the paragon of free speech in Northern Ireland.
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150
This House Believes Accessibility At The Bar Is Improving
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-fourth special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this occasion the House convened to hold the seventh entry in the Grand Campus Tourney series of collaborations with fellow student societies, on this occasion being joined by the Bar Society, and to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Accessibility At The Bar Is Improving".Thanks for listening!
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149
History Book Launch
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The launch of the official history book of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society, "175 Years of Discourse at Queen's: The Story of the Literific" written by Trust Secretary-Emeritus Ryan Hoey HLM and President-Emeritus Daniel Toft HLM! This event featured an introduction by Ian Marshall OBE, a discussion of the book with the authors, and questions from the audience.Thanks for listening!
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148
This House Believes Fan Fiction Is Real Literature
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-second special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this occasion the House convened to hold the sixth entry in the Grand Campus Tourney series of collaborations with fellow student societies, on this occasion being joined by the English Society, and to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Fan Fiction Is Real Literature".Thanks for listening!
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147
LitTalk: In Conversation With Edwin Poots MLA
On Monday, 20th April 2026, at 19:00, 0G/074 in the Lanyon Building hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's eighth LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Edwin Poots MLA, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Mr. Poots conducted by Daniel Rankin, Deputy Editor of The Gown, the student newspaper at Queen's University Belfast. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Poots.
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146
This House Believes Men Just Can't Get It Done
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The fourth meeting of the Muriel Campbell Subcommittee for Women and Gender Minorities of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The Subcommittee convened to discuss the motion "This House Believes Men Just Can't It Done".Speaking for the Proposition were Emily Carter, TBD, Maeve Gee, and Lyra Morgan-Burst, and speaking for the Opposition were Peggy Mimnagh, TBD, Rosa Ivory, and Cathán Hunter.Thanks for listening!
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145
Second Extraordinary General Meeting Of The 177th Session
Hello! Hello! And welcome to this! The second extraordinary general meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this particular occasion, the House convened to elect the Vice-President and Events Officer for the next academic year.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:30) Constitutional Amendments(00:21:49) Election for Vice-President(00:50:57) Election for Events Officer(01:11:17) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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144
This House Supports Universal Childcare
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The third meeting of the Muriel Campbell Subcommittee for Women and Gender Minorities of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The Subcommittee convened to discuss the motion "This House Supports Universal Childcare".Speaking for the Proposition were Eri McCrea, Maeve Gee, and Lyra Morgan-Burst, and speaking for the Opposition were TBD, TBD, and EJ Culleton.Thanks for listening!
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143
LitTalk: In Conversation With Sam McBride
On Monday, 30th March 2026, at 19:00, the Canada Room in the Lanyon Building hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's seventh LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Sam McBride, Editor of the Belfast Telegraph.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Mr. McBride conducted by James Tourish, Events Officer. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Mr. McBride.
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142
This House Believes It Is Time To Copyright Your Face
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The sixteenth special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this occasion the House convened to hold the sixth entry in the Grand Campus Tourney series of collaborations with fellow student societies, on this occasion being joined by the Intellectual Property Law Society, and to discuss the motion, "This House Believes It Is Time To Copyright Your Face".Thanks for listening!
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141
177th Session Conversazione Moments
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The speeches, toasts, and awards from the annual Conversazione of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society!Chapters as follows:(00:00:00) Host's Address by Ryan Hoey(00:06:02) Poetry Reading and A Toast To Absent Friends by Beth Lynam(00:07:39) Social Officer's Speech by Jack Steele(00:18:41) Sláinte! the King! by Calvin Black (Partial)(00:20:31) A Special Announcement by Bakaer Noble(00:21:48) Society Awards presented by Jack Steele(00:29:46) Presidential Address by Daniel DevenneyThanks for listening!
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140
Annual General Meeting Of The 177th Session
Hello! Hello! And welcome to this! The annual general meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this particular occasion, the House convened to elect the council for the next academic year.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:11) Council Reports(00:29:39) Constitutional Amendments(01:00:22) Bestowment of Honorary Life Memberships(01:26:59) Election for President(02:02:45) Election for Secretary(02:09:45) Election for Treasurer(02:26:42) Election for Internal Convenor(02:34:31) Election for External Convenor(02:43:06) Election for Schools Convenor(03:11:47) Election for Events Officer(03:27:14) Election for Social Officer(03:44:58) Closing Motion and Remarks by the President-Elect(03:48:38) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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139
This House Would Be A Spinster
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The second meeting of the Muriel Campbell Subcommittee for Women and Gender Minorities of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The Subcommittee convened to discuss the motion "This House Would Be A Spinster".Speaking for the Proposition were Isabella Met, Eri McCrea, Cathán Hunter, and EJ Culleton, and speaking for the Opposition were Lyra Morgan-Burst, Peggy Mimnagh, Gráinne Donnelly, and Ella McMullan.Thanks for listening!
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138
LitTalk: In Conversation With Mary McAleese
On Monday, 9th March 2026, at 19:00, the Canada Room in the Lanyon Building hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's sixth LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Mary McAleese, former President of the Republic of Ireland.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Ms. McAleese conducted by Daniel Rankin, Deputy Editor of The Gown, the student newspaper at Queen's University Belfast. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Ms. McAleese.
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137
This House Predicts A United Ireland By 2046
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The Grand Final of the Queen's Open Competition, hosted by the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! Debaters from across the UK and Ireland convened to discuss the motion "This House Predicts A United Ireland By 2046".Thanks for listening!
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136
LitTalk: In Conversation With Daniel Mulhall
On Tuesday, 24th February 2026, at 19:00, the Old McMordie Hall in the Music Building hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's fifth LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Daniel Mulhall, former Republic of Ireland ambassador to the UK, USA, and Germany.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Mr. Mulhall conducted by James Tourish, Events Officer. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Mulhall.
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135
This House Would Decriminalise Sex Work
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The inaugural meeting of the Muriel Campbell Subcommittee for Women and Gender Minorities of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The Subcommittee convened to discuss the motion "This House Would Decriminalise Sex Work".Speaking for the Proposition were Emily Carter, Lyra Morgan-Burst, and Maeve Gee, and speaking for the Opposition were Ash Kaur, Peggy Mimnagh, and Rosa Ivory.Thanks for listening!
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134
LitTalk: In Conversation With Gavin Robinson MP
On Monday, 16th February 2026, at 19:00, the Old McMordie Hall in the Music Building hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's fourth LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Gavin Robinson MP, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Mr. Robinson conducted by Claire Dickson HLM, former Head of The Scoop at Queen's Radio. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Robinson.
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133
LitTalk: In Conversation With Declan Lawn
On Monday, 9th February 2026, at 19:00, the Old McMordie Hall in the Music Building hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's third LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Declan Lawn, creator and lead writer of the hit BBC television series Blue Lights.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Mr. Lawn conducted by Katie Ward, a Contributor to The Gown, the student newspaper at Queen's University Belfast. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Lawn.
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132
LitTalk: In Conversation With Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid
On Thursday, 22nd January 2026, at 13:00, the James Rutherford Room in Riddel Hall hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's second LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event featured Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, Palestinian Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an interview with Dr. Abdalmajid conducted by Daniel Rankin, Deputy Editor of The Gown, the student newspaper at Queen's University Belfast. Following the discussion, participants were given the opportunity to pose questions to Dr. Abdalmajid.
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131
This House Would Revolt
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-sixth and final ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion "This House Would Revolt".Speaking for the Proposition were Beth Lynam, Jonathan Massey, Ella McMullin, and Henry O'Riordan, and speaking for the Opposition were Luke Coyle, Elliot Dickie, EJ Culleton, and Ash Kaur.Thanks for listening!
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130
This House Would Separate Religion From Politics
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-fifth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion "This House Would Separate Religion From Politics".Speaking for the Proposition were Ash Kaur, Liz Kelly, William Browne, and Rosa Ivory, and speaking for the Opposition were David Bingham, Tom McCormack, Jack Steele, and James Taylor.Thanks for listening!
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129
This House Would Restrict The Right To A Jury Trial
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-fourth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion "This House Would Restrict The Right To A Jury Trial".Speaking for the Proposition were Luke Coyle, EJ Culleton, and Dhivyah Chandrasegaran, and speaking for the Opposition were Kíla Hall, Eóin O’Neill, and Henry O'Riordan.Thanks for listening!
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128
Dufferin Debate - This House, As God, Would Start Over
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-third ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to host the annual Dufferin Competition for Speaker of the Year, and to discuss the motion "This House, As God, Would Start Over".Speaking for the Proposition were Elliot Dickie, Luke Coyle, EJ Culleton, and Ash Kaur, and speaking for the Opposition were Eóin O’Neill, David Martin, Addo-Obeng Opoku Agyeman, and Beth Lynam.Thanks for listening!
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127
This House Would Boycott The World Cup
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-second ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Boycott The World Cup".
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126
This House Believes Irish Culture Is Not A Costume
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twenty-first ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Irish Culture Is Not A Costume".Thanks for listening!
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125
This House Regrets The Rise Of BookTok
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twentieth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Regrets The Rise Of BookTok".Thanks for listening!
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124
This House Believes The US Is Beyond Saving
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The nineteenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes The US Is Beyond Saving".Thanks for listening!
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123
This House Has No Faith In The Labour Government
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The eighteenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Has No Faith In The Labour Government".Please note: during this particular meeting we experienced a number of technical difficulties with the recording apparatus, so the audio quality is not up to our usual standard.Thanks for listening!
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122
This House Believes Men And Women Can't Be Friends
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The seventeenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Men And Women Can't Be Friends".Thanks for listening!
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121
This House Believes Money Is The Root Of All Evil
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The ninth special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this occasion the House convened to hold the fourth entry in the Grand Campus Tourney series of collaborations with fellow student societies, on this occasion being joined by the Politics, Philosophy, and Economics Society, and to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Money Is The Root Of All Evil".Thanks for listening!
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120
This House Would Reinstate The QUB Irish Language Signage
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The sixteenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Reinstate The QUB Irish Language Signage".Speaking for the Proposition were Conleth O Meallain, Mark Emmo, Kwame Le Blanc, and Eoin O'Neill, and speaking for the Opposition were Ollie Eaton, Jay Basra, Harry Nicholl, and Beth Lynam.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:09) President's Questions(00:09:56) Private Members’ Business(00:27:19) Minutes(00:34:11) Rules of the Debate(00:36:07) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:37:50) Conleth O Meallain, First Prop(00:45:01) Ollie Eaton, First Opp(00:51:42) Mark Emmo, Second Prop(00:56:41) Jay Basra, Second Opp(01:02:11) Kwame Le Blanc, Third Prop(01:05:21) Harry Nicholl, Third Opp(01:23:45) Eoin O'Neill, Fourth Prop(01:20:45) Beth Lynam, Fourth Opp(01:28:39) Questions from the House(01:45:12) The Vote(01:48:16) Announcements(01:58:43) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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119
This House Believes Digital Privacy Should Be A Human Right
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The seventh special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this occasion the House convened to hold the third entry in the Grand Campus Tourney series of collaborations with fellow student societies, on this occasion being joined by Lawyers Without Borders, and to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Digital Privacy Should Be A Human Right".Speaking for the Proposition were John Magi, Akaash Lukev, and Jonathan Massey, and speaking for the Opposition were Saffron Leaves, Rosa Ivory, and Luke Coyle.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:46) President's Questions(00:06:47) Private Members’ Business(00:26:06) Opening Remarks by President of Lawyers Without Borders(00:28:29) Rules of the Debate(00:30:08) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:31:09) John Magi, First Prop(00:38:20) Saffron Leaves, First Opp(00:45:04) Akaash Lukev, Second Prop(00:52:30) Rosa Ivory, Second Opp(00:59:39) Jonathan Massey, Third Prop(01:07:22) Luke Coyle, Third Opp(01:15:24) Questions from the House(01:27:33) The Vote(01:29:16) Closing Remarks by President of Lawyers Without Borders(01:31:13) Announcements(01:32:34) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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118
This House Believes Capitalism Has Failed The West
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The fifteenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Capitalism Has Failed The West".Speaking for the Proposition were Hugh Child, James Tourish, Maeve Gee, and Jonathan Massey, and speaking for the Opposition were Ollie Eaton, Natanya Mordani, Rea Thien, and Elliot Dickie.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:21) President's Questions(00:15:56) Private Members’ Business(00:30:16) Minutes(00:36:58) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:38:45) Rules of the Debate(00:40:32) Hugh Child, First Prop(00:48:13) Ollie Eaton, First Opp(00:55:15) James Tourish, Second Prop(01:02:25) Natanya Mordani, Second Opp(01:09:19) Maeve Gee, Third Prop(01:16:22) Rea Thien, Third Opp(01:23:45) Jonathan Massey, Fourth Prop(01:31:50) Elliot Dickie, Fourth Opp(01:38:36) Questions from the House(01:51:41) The Vote(01:53:25) Announcements(02:03:06) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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117
This House Would Rather Be A Traitor Than A Faithful
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The fourteenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Rather Be A Traitor Than A Faithful".Speaking for the Proposition were Leon Mewse, Lyra Morgan-Burst, and Luke Teggart, and speaking for the Opposition were Tom McCormack, Beth Lynam, and Rosa Ivory.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:03) President's Questions(00:06:49) Private Members’ Business(00:22:21) Minutes(00:29:47) Rules of the Debate(00:31:22) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:33:25) Leon Mewse, First Prop(00:40:48) Tom McCormack, First Opp(00:49:21) Lyra Morgan-Burst, Second Prop(00:55:12) Beth Lynam, Second Opp(01:03:10) Luke Teggart, Third Prop(01:10:54) Rosa Ivory, Third Opp(01:18:36) Questions from the House(01:33:30) Vote of Speaker Ability(01:34:50) Announcements(01:45:48) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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116
This House Believes It's Embarrassing To Have A Boyfriend
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The thirteenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes It's Embarrassing To Have A Boyfriend".Speaking for the Proposition were Luke Coyle, Ash Kaur, and Jack Steele, and speaking for the Opposition were Eniola Isaax, Elliot Dickie, and EJ Culleton.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:15) President's Questions(00:08:55) Private Members’ Business(00:19:26) Minutes(00:28:23) Rules of the Debate(00:30:13) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:31:50) Luke Coyle, First Prop(00:38:40) Eniola Isaax, First Opp(00:45:31) Ash Kaur, Second Prop(00:52:46) Elliot Dickie, Second Opp(00:59:51) Jack Steele, Third Prop(01:08:01) EJ Culleton, Third Opp(01:15:37) Questions from the House(01:27:23) Vote of Speaker Ability(01:28:58) Announcements(01:34:01) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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115
LitTalk: A Dialogue With The Archbishops Of Armagh
On Tuesday, 25th November 2025, at 19:00, the Chapel in the Union Theological College hosted the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society's first LitTalk of the 177th Session. The event was an ecumenical dialogue between the two Archibishops of Armagh: from the Catholic Church Eamon Martin and from the Church of Ireland John McDowell.During the event, attendees had the chance to listen to an discussion between Abp. Martin and Abp. McDowell that was facilitated by Literific Events Officer James Tourish. Following the discussion, attendees were given the opportunity to pose questions to the Archbishops.
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114
This House Would Defund The BBC
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The second special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! On this occasion the House convened to hold an emergency debate to discuss the motion, "This House Would Defund The BBC" and was joined by the student newspaper at Queen's, The Gown.Speaking for the Proposition were Bakaer Noble, Luella Coley, and Eoin O'Neill, and speaking for the Opposition were Luke Collins, Michael Cairns, and Dáire McConville.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:14) President's Questions(00:08:21) Private Members’ Business(00:12:08) Minutes(00:20:59) Grand Campus Tourney Introduction(00:22:54) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:24:08) Rules of the Debate(00:25:35) Bakaer Noble, First Prop(00:32:01) Luke Collins, First Opp(00:39:36) Luella Coley, Second Prop(00:45:44) Michael Cairns, Second Opp(00:52:22) Eoin O'Neill, Third Prop(00:59:36) Dáire McConville, Third Opp(01:07:15) Questions from the House(01:17:58) Vote of Speaker Ability(01:21:54) Announcements(01:26:32) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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113
This House Would Separate The Art From The Artist
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The twelfth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Separate The Art From The Artist".Speaking for the Proposition were Ash Kaur, Leon Mewse, and Luke Coyle, and speaking for the Opposition were Rosa Ivory, Louise Calder, and Ella McMullin.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:30) President's Questions(00:06:37) Private Members’ Business(00:17:39) Society Trust Business 1(00:19:26) Minutes(00:28:13) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:29:29) Rules of the Debate(00:31:38) Ash Kaur, First Prop(00:39:46) Rosa Ivory, First Opp(00:47:20) Leon Mewse, Second Prop(00:52:50) Louise Calder, Second Opp(00:59:50) Luke Coyle, Third Prop(01:07:44) Ella McMullin, Third Opp(01:15:37) Questions from the House(01:29:01) Vote of Speaker Ability(01:30:30) Society Trust Business 2(01:31:49) Announcements(01:38:24) End of Year Presidential Address(01:42:17) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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112
Don't Hate, Debate! In Collaboration With Victim Support NI
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! A special event held in collaboration with Victim Support NI and hosted in the Crescent Arts Centre, titled Don't Hate, Debate!In late 2025, it appeared that new hate crime legislation was likely to be tabled and debated in the NI Assembly, and Victim Support NI's position was that new legislation should be passed in order to better support victims. This event was held to explore the differing views on the topic and establish the best steps forward.To that end two motions were debated, "This House Believes Hate Crime Legislation Is Not Fit For Purpose" and "This House Believes Communities Address Hate Crime Better Than The Criminal Justice System".On the first motion, speaking for the Proposition were Beth Lynam, Lee Walker, and James Tourish, and speaking for the Opposition were Florence Dairo, Dhivyah Chandrasegaran, and Rosa Ivory.On the second motion, speaking for the Proposition were Bakaer Noble, Nihal Bhatt, and Luke Coyle, and speaking for the Opposition were Maeve Gee, Mikayla Williams, and Rea Thien.Timestamps as follows:Debate one: This House Believes Hate Crime Legislation Is Not Fit For Purpose(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:00:00) Opening Remarks from the President, Daniel Devenney(00:03:25) Rules of the Debate(00:04:43) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:05:49) Opening Remarks from the Guest Chair, Professor Kevin Brown(00:06:44) Beth Lynam, First Prop(00:12:59) Florence Dairo, First Opp(00:19:43) Lee Walker, Second Prop(00:26:45) Dhivyah Chandrasegaran, Second Opp(00:34:24) James Tourish, Third Prop(00:41:31) Rosa Ivory, Third Opp(00:49:06) Questions from the House(01:00:27) Closing Remarks from the President(01:01:24) Closing Remarks from the Guest Chair, Professor Kevin Brown(01:02:29) The Vote(01:04:04) Inter-Debate Segue by Mandy McAuleyDebate two: This House Believes Communities Address Hate Crime Better Than The Criminal Justice System(01:04:44) Second Motion(01:05:17) Intro and Rules(01:06:06) Vote of Prior Opinion(01:06:59) Opening Remarks from the Guest Chair, Mandy McAuley(01:07:28) Bakaer Noble, First Prop(01:12:53) Maeve Gee, First Opp(01:20:06) Nihal Bhatt, Second Prop(01:27:10) Mikayla Williams, Second Opp(01:33:31) Luke Coyle, Third Prop(01:41:08) Rea Thien, Third Opp(01:49:01) Questions from the House(02:08:20) Closing Remarks from the Guest Chair, Mandy McAuley(02:10:16) The Vote(02:11:12) Closing Remarks from the President(02:12:29) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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111
This House Would Abolish The Monarchy
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The eleventh ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Abolish The Monarchy".Speaking for the Proposition were Maeve Gee, Emily Carter, Flynn Nugent, and Ella McMullin, and speaking for the Opposition were Tom McCormack, George Farnon, Elliot Dickie, and Beth Lynam.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:03:28) President's Questions(00:07:24) Private Members’ Business(00:19:59) Minutes(00:30:03) Rules of the Debate(00:31:32) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:32:41) Maeve Gee, First Prop(00:40:13) Tom McCormack, First Opp(00:48:25) Emily Carter, Second Prop(00:52:51) George Farnon, Second Opp(00:59:57) Flynn Nugent, Third Prop(01:06:11) Elliot Dickie, Third Opp(01:12:38) Ella McMullin, Fourth Prop(01:20:02) Beth Lynam, Fourth Opp(01:27:51) Questions from the House(01:39:16) The Vote(01:40:45) Announcements(01:44:54) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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110
Christmas Mini Debates 2025
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The Christmas Party of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! During a very festive visit to the House Bar on Botanic for Christmas Dinner, three motions were debated: "This House Believes Die Hard Is A Christmas Movie", "This House Regrets Christmas In November", and "This House Would Kill Santa".On the first motion, speaking for the Proposition were Cormac Gallen, and Rea Thien, and speaking for the Opposition were Luke Collins, and Ella McMullin.On the second motion, speaking for the Proposition were Ash Kaur, and Henry O'Riordan, and speaking for the Opposition were Daniel Devenney, and Jack Steele.On the third motion, speaking for the Proposition were EJ Culleton, and Marc Ghaly, and speaking for the Opposition were Maeve Gee, and Oliver Eaton.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:00) First Motion(00:03:29) Cormac Gallen, First Prop(00:06:58) Luke Collins, First Opp(00:13:53) Rea Thien, Second Prop(00:20:31) Ella McMullin, Second Opp(00:26:05) The First Vote(00:28:08) Second Motion(00:29:05) Ash Kaur, First Prop(00:32:32) Daniel Devenney, First Opp(00:41:57) Henry O'Riordan, Second Prop(00:52:44) Jack Steele, Second Opp(01:02:56) The Second Vote(01:04:14) Festive Banter(01:07:09) Third Motion(01:08:20) EJ Culleton, First Prop(01:17:25) Maeve Gee, First Opp(01:26:29) Marc Ghaly, Second Prop(01:32:48) Oliver Eaton, Second Opp(01:40:28) The Third Vote(01:41:10) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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109
This House Supports Complete Nuclear Disarmament
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The tenth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! This particular meeting was the annual Godkin Newcomers' Competition, and the House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Supports Complete Nuclear Disarmament".Speaking for the Proposition were Zach Torley, Oliver Eaton, Ash Kaur, and Luke Coyle, and speaking for the Opposition were Marc Ghaly, Natanya Mordani, Nihal Bhatt, and William Browne.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:20) President's Questions(00:12:53) Private Members’ Business(00:22:24) Minutes(00:28:54) Introducing the Competitors and Judges(00:30:15) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:32:41) Rules of the Debate(00:34:01) Zach Torley, First Prop(00:38:56) Marc Ghaly, First Opp(00:45:51) Oliver Eaton, Second Prop(00:53:39) Natanya Mordani, Second Opp(01:01:14) Ash Kaur, Third Prop(01:08:33) Nihal Bhatt, Third Opp(01:15:18) Luke Coyle, Fourth Prop(01:23:11) William Browne, Fourth Opp(01:31:48) Questions from the House(01:44:43) The Vote(01:48:34) Judges' Remarks(01:52:29) The Results(01:53:35) Announcements(02:04:09) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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108
This House Believes Beauty Is Pain
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The ninth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! This particular meeting was held in conjunction with the QUB Lore Society, and the House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Beauty Is Pain".Speaking for the Proposition and representing the Lore Society were Alysha Healy, Eilish Monaghan, Eniola Isaax, and David Martin, and speaking for the Opposition were Elizabeth Noble, Florence Dairo, Anya Saluja, and Emma Jane Culleton.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:14) President's Questions(00:06:51) Private Members’ Business(00:19:51) Minutes(00:29:05) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:30:35) Rules of the Debate(00:32:58) Alysha Healy, First Prop(00:40:01) Elizabeth Noble, First Opp(00:47:50) Eilish Monaghan, Second Prop(00:54:33) Florence Dairo, Second Opp(01:02:14) Eniola Isaax, Third Prop(01:07:54) Anya Saluja, Third Opp(01:14:41) David Martin, Fourth Prop(01:20:17) Emma Jane Culleton, Fourth Opp(01:28:07) Questions from the House(01:34:53) The Vote(01:38:12) Announcements(01:45:19) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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107
This House Would Love Thy Neighbour
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The eighth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Love Thy Neighbour".Speaking for the Proposition were Reuben Cope, Chloe Cotton, Isabella Met, and Matthew Spratt, and speaking for the Opposition were Tom McCormack, George Farnon, Marc Ghaly, and Flynn Nugent.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:05) President's Questions(00:07:20) Private Members’ Business(00:20:55) Minutes(00:29:55) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:31:27) Rules of the Debate(00:33:06) Reuben Cope, First Prop(00:39:15) Tom McCormack, First Opp(00:46:59) Chloe Cotton, Second Prop(00:54:08) George Farnon, Second Opp(01:02:00) Isabella Met, Third Prop(01:09:10) Marc Ghaly, Third Opp(01:16:42) Matthew Spratt, Fourth Prop(01:24:53) Flynn Nugent, Fourth Opp(01:32:49) Questions from the House(01:39:35) The Vote(01:41:40) Announcements(01:47:24) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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106
This House Would Rather Be Feared Than Respected
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The seventh ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Would Rather Be Feared Than Respected".Speaking for the Proposition were Rosa Ivory, Luke Coyle, and James Tourish, and speaking for the Opposition were Luca Barsalini, Nihal Bhatt, and Cormac McEntee.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:02:03) President's Questions(00:09:14) Private Members’ Business(00:23:07) Minutes(00:31:36) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:33:05) Rules of the Debate(00:34:45) Rosa Ivory, First Prop(00:42:41) Luca Barsalini, First Opp(00:50:25) Luke Coyle, Second Prop(00:58:02) Nihal Bhatt, Second Opp(01:05:52) James Tourish, Third Prop(01:12:41) Cormac McEntee, Third Opp(01:20:52) Questions from the House(01:26:53) The Vote(01:28:28) Announcements(01:33:35) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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105
This House Supports A Single Unionist Party
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The sixth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Supports A Single Unionist Party".The meeting was guest-chaired by Baroness Kate Hoey. Speaking for the Proposition were Peter Martin MLA, Jay Basra, Jeff Dudgeon MBE, and Grant Warren, and speaking for the Opposition were Timothy Gaston MLA, David Bingham, Moore Holmes, and Jack Steele.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:23) President's Questions(00:04:23) Private Members’ Business(00:13:38) Minutes(00:27:50) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:29:32) Rules of the Debate(00:31:52) Opening Remarks by Baroness Hoey, Guest Chair(00:35:11) Peter Martin MLA, First Prop(00:42:25) Timothy Gaston MLA, First Opp(00:49:47) Jay Basra, Second Prop(00:57:32) David Bingham, Second Opp(01:05:15) Jeff Dudgeon MBE, Third Prop(01:14:40) Moore Holmes, Third Opp(01:23:31) Grant Warren, Fourth Prop(01:30:55) Jack Steele, Fourth Opp(01:39:04) Questions from the House(01:50:58) The Vote(01:52:58) Closing Remarks by Baroness Hoey, Guest Chair(01:58:55) Announcements(02:06:16) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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104
This House Believes Masculinity Is Inherently Toxic
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The fifth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Masculinity Is Inherently Toxic".Speaking for the Proposition were Paul Cunningham, William Browne, Luella Coley, and Beth Lynam, and speaking for the Opposition were Luke Coyle, Brandon Foster, Marc Ghaley, and Ashkya Chan Kaur.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:22) President's Questions(00:07:50) Private Members’ Business(00:20:01) Minutes(00:35:07) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:36:37) Rules of the Debate(00:38:09) Paul Cunningham, First Prop(00:45:25) Luke Coyle, First Opp(00:52:52) William Browne, Second Prop(01:00:49) Brandon Foster, Second Opp(01:06:04) Luella Coley, Third Prop(01:12:29) Marc Ghaley, Third Opp(01:18:53) Beth Lynam, Fourth Prop(01:26:27) Ashkya Chan Kaur, Fourth Opp(01:33:38) Questions from the House(01:40:11) The Vote(01:42:05) Announcements(01:47:50) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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103
This House Supports A Wealth Tax
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The fourth ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Supports A Wealth Tax".Speaking for the Proposition were Eoin O'Neill, Tina Barghi, Maeve Gee, and Jack Murray, and speaking for the Opposition were Tom McCormack, Elliot Dickie, Cormac McSparron, and Emma Jane Culleton.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:57) President's Questions(00:07:57) Private Members’ Business(00:16:07) Minutes(00:26:05) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:27:43) Rules of the Debate(00:29:17) Eoin O'Neill, First Prop(00:37:05) Tom McCormack, First Opp(00:44:50) Tina Barghi, Second Prop(00:52:01) Elliot Dickie, Second Opp(00:59:40) Maeve Gee, Third Prop(01:07:02) Cormac McSparron, Third Opp(01:14:14) Jack Murray, Fourth Prop(01:20:46) Emma Jane Culleton, Fourth Opp(01:28:09) Questions from the House(01:42:00) The Vote(01:44:08) Announcements(01:50:35) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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102
This House Would Vote (Stormont Mixer 2025)
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The first special meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened for the annual Stormont Mixer to discuss the motion, "This House Would Vote".Speaking for the Proposition were Peter Martin MLA, Luke Collins, Ashyka Kaur, and Tom McCormack, and speaking for the Opposition were Hugh Child, Nihal Bhatt, James Tourish, and Luke Coyle.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:00:49) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:01:48) Rules of the Debate(00:02:58) Peter Martin MLA, First Prop(00:10:23) Hugh Child, First Opp(00:18:01) Luke Collins, Second Prop(00:25:15) Nihal Bhatt, Second Opp(00:32:53) Ashyka Kaur, Third Prop(00:39:45) James Tourish, Third Opp(00:47:08) Tom McCormack, Fourth Prop(00:54:21) Luke Coyle, Fourth Opp(01:02:33) Questions from the House(01:10:44) The Vote(01:12:07) Closing Remarks(01:13:20) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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101
This House Believes Love Is Blind
Hello, hello, one and all! And welcome to this! The third ordinary meeting of the one hundred and seventy-seventh session of the Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society! The House convened to discuss the motion, "This House Believes Love Is Blind".Speaking for the Proposition were Emma Jane Culleton, William Browne, and Beth Lynam, and speaking for the Opposition were Rea Thien, Elizabeth Noble, and Marc Ghaly.Timestamps as follows:(00:00:00) Order, order!(00:01:27) President's Questions(00:05:57) Private Members’ Business(00:13:36) Minutes(00:23:36) Rules of the Debate(00:25:38) Vote of Prior Opinion(00:26:55) Emma Jane Culleton, First Prop(00:32:57) Rea Thien, First Opp(00:40:26) William Browne, Second Prop(00:48:07) Elizabeth Noble, Second Opp(00:55:53) Beth Lynam, Third Prop(01:03:26) Marc Ghaly, Third Opp(01:10:33) Questions from the House(01:17:02) The Vote(01:18:34) Announcements(01:24:48) Meeting adjourned!Thanks for listening!
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Literary & Scientific Society, known as the Literific, is the debating society at the Queen’s University of Belfast. The Literific was founded by E.L. Godkin in 1850, making it the oldest and first student society at Queen’s. Today it remains the paragon of free speech in Northern Ireland.
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The Queen's University of Belfast Literary and Scientific Society (The Literific)
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