Wow, great applause to our volunteers here at Galway! They are doing a great job and more than deserved the standing ovations they were payed to. They’re doing an amazing job. We’re right now enjoying a nice and decent soial with traditional Irish music. Everybody’s a little tired after nine prelims up to now – but at the same time rrrrrrrreally excited: Who is going to break tonight? Who will compete in tomorrow’s quarter finals? It’s a tough competition – yeah, really, what else are we supposed to say about it? It is tough!

Some of the German teams have their spirits up for the ESL break, but there’s a good competition from the Dutch and the Israeli delegation. Let’s see what will happen tonight. Of course we have no results from today’s prelims, it was closed rounds only – no feedback, no ranking. The break will be announced at 11.30 p.m. tonight, that is 12:30 a.m. in Germany.

We have mentioned the weather before … well, it’s always worth one or two sentences around here. Today it was simply terrible. Grey clouds just above the rooves of the two-storey cottages, pouring rain on us – raining cats and dogs, as one would say. Everybody was soaked wet when they reached breakfast. But that hindered no-one from engaging in great debates.

Today’s round seven was about how to undermine traditional gender roles – forbidding pink dresses and avoiding personal pronouns such as he and she to refer to other kids was just one suggestion. One debater claimed, that there 17 gender roles acknowledged. Well, we couldn’t proof that fact.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority were discussed in round eight. Would suspending financial, political and military support from both sides mean that Iran’s influence would grow? Or that Israel would hunger out the Palestinian Authority? No idea, how the judges saw it, but arguments were strong on both sides, I have to admit.

The last round of today (and for some in the tournament) was about priests and their right not to tell about perpetuators and their confessions. The urgent need of criminals to repent and confess without the fear to face trial versus the compensation for the victim of their crimes – it seemed quite obvious in the first place, but you never know how the judges decide until your part of the panel.

Now your Achte Minute is going to enjoy some Irish beer until we will let you know …  yes, right, the break. Stay tuned in with us!

• Round 7: This house believes that early childhood education in schools should undermine traditional gender roles.
• Round 8: This house believes that America and the EU should cease all financial, political and military support to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority until they reach a peace agreement.
• Round 9: This house would legally require priests to report all serious crimes that they hear of in confessions.

The European Universities Debating Championships (EUDC or Euros) have been held annually since 1999. It was started in Rotterdam where 32 teams of two competed for the title. For the records: In Amsterdam, 192 teams competed for the very same title in 2010. Format has ever since been British Parliamentary Style(BPS), language of debate is English. Debaters from all over Europe and Israel take part in Euros and compete with each other in two categories: the open break (for native speakers) and “English as a Second Language” (ESL). Current champions are Eoghan Casey and Patrick Rooney (Kings Inn), ESL champions are Maja Cimerman and Filip Dobranic from Ljubljana. This year’s Euros will be held in Galway, Ireland, from 7 to 13 August. Chief adjudicator is Ruth Faller (Ireland), her deputies are Shengwu Li (Singapore), Simone van Elk (The Netherlands), Steven Nolan (Ireland) and Yoni Cohen Idov (Israel). Isabelle Loewe from Debattierclub Bonn and Tony Murphy (Ireland) will be equity officers. Galway’s tabmaster is Harry McEvansoneya, an Irish as well. During the Euros, the EUDC Council will sit and for instance decide about the host of next year’s championship. Currently, Belgrade (Serbia) is bidding for staging the European Universities Debating Championships 2012.

Note from the editor: During Galway, we’ll be publishing mostly in English only. Thanks for understanding.

is house would lW legally require priests to report all serious crimes that they hear of in confession