Conor McArdle wins 2026 McCarthy Debate at King’s Inns

Conor McArdle

The annual comic debate in memory of the late Mr Justice Niall McCarthy and his wife Barbara, saw four participants argue the motion: “This House believes that the problem with artificial intelligence is not its intelligence, but its self-confidence.”

Speaking against the motion, Mr McArdle was selected as the winner by the benchers of the society, who included Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe and Senator Michael McDowell. 

A native of Armagh, Mr McArdle completed his undergraduate law degree and masters in human rights law at Queens University Belfast. He is currently a civil servant based in Dublin and has previously worked at the European External Action Service Delegation to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris and the Irish Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels. He intends to practise at the bar from next year following his completion of the BL at Kings Inns.