Election Debates’ verdict: Gilmore wins fourth Irish leaders’ debate

Election Debates has awarded the fourth and final Irish leaders’ debate to Eamon Gilmore (Labour).

The debate featured the three major party leaders: Micheal Martin (Fianna Fáil), Enda Kenny (Fine Gael) and Mr Gilmore. The debate was hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan of RTÉ’s Prime Time.

Colm Flynn, former chair of the World Universities Debating Championship, said “…in terms of the winner it’s tight call but there was a clear loser: Micheal Martin. Martin lost because his attack approach now came across as anger and frustration rather than conviction over what he was saying.  He found himself out gunned and couldn’t avoid the attacks on his record in government.

He added “Gilmore will, by now, have given up on any chance of being Taoiseach and that freed his hands a bit more. He could engage more in his natural aggressive style and also benefitted from his proposals not coming under the same scrutiny as Kenny’s and Martin’s.

You can read Colm’s full adjudication here.

You can watch the debate here.

Election Debates covered the three English language debates (the first, second and fourth debates). We gave the first debate to Mr Martin and the second debate to Mr Kenny. The third debate was the Irish language debate.